


Lunam et Stella

by Nerdysaurus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-11-30 14:03:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 116,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11465100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdysaurus/pseuds/Nerdysaurus
Summary: AU Slytherin!HermioneWhat if Harry Potter wasn't the Chosen One? Cassiopeia Black faked her death at the age of 15 to escape her family and leave the magical world for good. Her daughter Hermione, however, might not have that choice.(M for violence, language, and sexual content in later chapters)





	1. The Prophecy

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Before we begin, let me just say that this is my first fic so bare with me as I find my writing legs. I welcome suggestions and adore reviews. I would also like to remind readers that this will a long AU fic but original characters and events may make an appearance. Also, the M rating will come into play much later in the story. 
> 
> Clarification about my plot: Harry's parent do die October 31, 1981 but it is because they refused to join Tom's ranks, not because of the prophecy. Voldemort is ripped from his body that night due to Lily's sacrifice BUT Harry is not a horcrux. Sirius does not go to prison (chooses to get Harry away instead of going after Peter). Lily, not Harry, is credited for Voldemort's fall, so Harry isn't AS famous. I have not decided whether Ron will be younger than them or in the story at all. Oh and before I forget, birthdays/age change. Harry's birthday will be 1 July, 1980, with Hermione's being on the 13th. I am also making his parents' generation (aka Remus, Sirius, Snape, etc.) a few years older than canon.
> 
> Now for legal matters. The following applies to all later chapters to come: All copyrights belong to their respective owners. I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I presume to possess the genius necessary to create its characters. I am simply borrowing them from Queen J.K. Rowling for our entertainment. I do, however, take credit for any original characters introduced in the story.

 

**13 February, 1971**

It had begun as an indulgence. The only reason Albus Dumbledore found himself sitting in a pub late on a Friday night was his belief that he should at least give the young lady the opportunity to plead her case. Granted, he himself had never put much stalk in the magicks of divination—they were too finicky, to prone to misinterpretation after all—but she was a descendent of Cassandra. He had decided to come on the slim chance that she possessed the same gift. If it went badly, he would just have to look for another elective course for the next term.

He was in the middle of contemplating what classes would appeal to the young students when she finally arrived. She stumbled a bit as she walked through the entrance and began to look around, searching for him. The first thing he noticed was that she still looked like the student he remembered. She was tall, with thick bottle glasses that made her eyes appear to take up half of her face. She wore teal-colored robes and her neck was weighed down by several scarfs and crystal necklaces. She stood with shoulders hunched and swayed, as if the wind could knock her over at any moment. He had chosen a table at the back of the pub to provide some privacy during their talk, but eventually her eyes fell on him.

The young woman hurried over to him, doing a hurried drying spell as she sat. "I am terribly sorry Headmaster", she began in a wispy voice, "but the leaves advised me to leave late."

' _Ah, well. Perhaps we will have to look for another elective after all'_ , Dumbledore thought when he heard those words.

"Not at all my dear. Sit, sit. We'll warm ourselves with some heated mead", he said as he waved down a barmaid.

After getting their drinks and saying all the niceties he began with all the typical questions: _What references can you provide? Do you have your Mastery in the subject? How would you structure the curriculum?_ It soon became obvious, however, that the only qualification she possessed, past her Mastery, was her ancestry.

He sat there only partially listening to her ramble about _the Sight_ and crystal balls, all in that wispy voice. He suspected the voice was part of the theatrics, along with her hair and overall image she portrayed. ' _What other reason would she have for all the scarfs and crystals along her neck?'_ he wondered.

He had just decided to interrupt her when she suddenly became rigid as a board, her eyes wide and vacant. His head snapped up to scan their surroundings, wand in hand. He let his magick out, spreading tendrils of power to scout the pub but he failed to see or sense any danger. He looked back at her about to ask her what was wrong when she began to speak in a deep timber, sending chills down his spine.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born in the seventh month to she who thrice defied him…she will have power the Dark Lord knows not…Birthed from her dark house and branded by moon and star… she will be forged and sharpened in darkness …And she will come forth with a soul of fire, strength of the earth, and the ferocity of a storm …The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…"_

' _It appears some of Cassandra's gift has trickled down after all'_ , was all he could think as he stared at her. This was no gimmick or trick. The glow in her eyes and the rasp of her voice could not be imitated, nor could the snap of energy that had suddenly evaporated.

"…not all of them will have _the Sight_ , you understand, but I can assure you that I am capable of guiding the select few who are able to see into the beyond" she said, as though she had never been interrupted.

It was then that Dumbledore noticed the furtive movements of wizard in black robes as he made a hasty exit. He felt dread fill him momentarily. _'He will know soon'_ he thought, as he continued to listen to her ramble. The dread lasted only a moment before his eyes hardened, the familiar twinkle giving way to something almost feral.

In the next second he had cast a wordless _obliviate_ at the unsuspecting woman. Although she appeared unaware of what she had just said, he did not wish to risk her remembering. She blinked a few times dazedly before her eyes focused back on him.

"I apologize professor, I seem to have lost my train of thought"

"No worries Miss Trelawney, I was just about to congratulate you. It sounds to me that you would make an excellent addition to our staff at Hogwarts!", he said with his eyes twinkling brightly. "You will need to stop by my office, of course, to finalize any paperwork. Term begins September 1st, however, you will need to arrive…"

Later when Dumbledore walked out of the pub he looked up at the night sky and couldn't help but think of the prophecy: _"Branded by the moon and star…"_

' _I have you now Tom'_ he thought.

Had anyone seen him at that moment, they would be reminded that he was more than just the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While his auburn hair was shot with gray and his robes were a lively shade of blue, he had a hard glint in his eyes and a razor-sharp smile that warned people that here stood the wizard that had defeated Grindelwald. This was the man who Lord Voldermort was rumored to fear.

With a hardly a sound, Albus Dumbledore apparated away. He had a Deputy to fight about their new staff member.


	2. The Beginning

**12 July, 1980**

**7:40 p.m.**

Daniel and Emma Granger lived perfect lives. They were both pediatric surgeons at King's and had just finalized the sale of their new home in Sundridge Park, Bromley. The best part, however, was the fact that after three years of trying Emma was almost eight months pregnant with their baby girl.

It had started to rain after they had arrived at their new home. The movers were not scheduled until tomorrow, but they were already busy at work with ideas to redecorate the 5 bedroom house. They were sitting in the receiving room with only the light of a fire, which still had the previous owner's furniture, discussing colors for the nursery. Or at least, Emma was discussing. Daniel had quite honestly stopped listening 20 minutes prior, knowing that his wife was not actually looking for input, and was thinking of the takeout places he saw on the drive up.

"Emma, darling," he began hesitantly. "Don't you think we can do this tomorrow? You have to be exhausted from supervising all the packing. How about we head out for dinner, hmm?" he asked.

She didn't look convinced, however, so he threw in his last card. "We can stop by the bakery and pickup those scones you've been craving on the way up."

At his words Emma's eyes lit up and she made to stand. "Can we get those some éclairs as well?"

"Whatever you want, love. We can get some macaroons too, if we're really feeling wild", he said amused.

"Don't tease," she pouted. "Honestly, it's like she's purposefully trying to make me as big as a whale. It's a wonder I still fit through the doo—"

He had been in the process of helping her stand when she gave a sudden cry, her eyes scrunched up in pain. She felt her water break and something _pulled_ inside of her. ' _Something is wrong'_ , she thought frantically as the storm hit a crescendo outside and thunder shook the house. As the last tremors subsided, her eyes fluttered shut as she collapsed.

Daniel Granger had never been more terrified in his life. The baby was not due for another five weeks! And his very pregnant wife had just collapsed! His hands shook as he scooped her up and all but ran to the car.

' _She's okay. She's okay. She's okay'._ He repeated the thought over and over until it became a mantra. He pulled up in front of the hospital a few minutes later and didn't bother properly parking his car. He ran to the other side of the car, scooped her back into his arms and ran inside.

"HELP! Somebody help!", he shouted as he walked through the doors.

A nurse looked over and seeing the pregnant woman started calling out for her collegues.

"Sir, I need to know what happened", she told him firmly.

"I don't know! I don't know! One minute she's getting up from the couch and then she just..she just COLLAPSED!" He looked wild with worry. "Please", he rasped. "She's pregnant. Please help her."

"Okay sir, I need you to stay here and fill out the necessary paperwork with Eve here. We'll see to her. What are your names? How far along is she?" she asked gently but hurriedly.

"Daniel and Emma Granger…her name's Emma. She's thirty-five weeks", his voice shaking as he responded.

"Okay Daniel, we're taking Emma now. It's highly likely that we will have to induce labor so I need you to sign the proper forms so we can help her okay? Eve here will help you" and with that she turned to run after the doctor and nurses that were wheeling his wife away.

He stood there for what seemed like hours before someone touched his arm. "Mr. Granger", he heard a gentle voice say. "I need you to fill out these forms for me please. Here, why don't you take a seat.", she said as she guided him. "You need to sign these before Sarah gets back in order to go see your wife."

That seemed to snap him out of his almost catatonic state. Eve Summers had helped enough families in her twelve years at the hospital to know how to reach people when they were drowning in their worries.

After he finished signing the paperwork, there was nothing to do but wait.

* * *

**13 July, 1980**

**12:08 a.m.**

"Mr. Granger, if you'll follow me please"

"My wife, how is she? How's the baby?" he asked her immediately.

"You're baby is fine sir. Healthy baby girl. Born at the stroke of midnight, if you would believe it. You wouldn't even know she was born prematurely", she said with a forced smile.

Dan felt his stomach drop. He knew that smile. He saw the nurses at King's give that smile often enough when something had happened but they couldn't speak of it.

"My wife", he repeated with a rasp. "What about my wife?"

"I'm sorry sir but you will have to speak to Dr. Davies" she said as they arrived at Emma's room. She then turned and hurriedly walked away to see her next patient.

Emma had always been a petite woman. She was only 5'3 with hazel eyes and riotous honey-blond curls. At that moment, however, she looked even smaller than he knew her to be. She was pale, with a sheen of sweat covering her forehead. Her face was drawn and exhaustion filled her eyes as she looked up at his entrance. Another emotion flickered there for a second, but it was gone so fast he thought he imagined it. The exhaustion shifted as a pure joy filled her features at the sight of her husband.

"Oh Dan look how absolutely perfect she is." She said looking down at her little bundle. His little girl was bundled in a little white blanket, making her dark hair stand out. She was pink and tiny and he could only stare in wonder.

"Little bugger just came early and a bit to suddenly, didn't you love? Oh I can tell you're going be a hell-raiser like your mum" she said chuckling.

Dan let out a strangled sound at that and his wife rolled her eyes. "Oh don't give me that look. You remember what I was like when we were young. Wasn't a force on earth that could stop me when I wanted to do something."

"That's what's terrifying. I can only handle one of you. I'm going to lock her up until she's thirty. And get a gun. No daughter of mine will be sneaking out to shag her boyfriend in his car" he said heatedly. His wife only laughed at him.

"Because my father had so much success with that, right love? No, us Black women were born to run free and may god help those who try and stop us" she said, her eyes shinning.

At that moment Dr. Davies walked back in with a somber look on his face. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Congratulations on the new addition to the family," he told them sincerely.

"Thank you", replied Dan. His wife simply stared hard at the man until he began to squirm. Finally, in a flat voice she said, "Whatever it is, out with it. Don't bloody draw it out."

"Emma!", Dan said scandalized. She, however, just continued to stare down the doctor.

"Right then." He said looking uncomfortable and apologetic. "Well Mrs. Granger. While your baby is whole and healthy we did have some complications during the birth. You lost quite a bit of blood and you sustained damage to your uterine lining. It's too soon to tell definitively but it's likely the scarring will prevent or interfere with future pregnancies"

With each word Emma's face had become paler. Despite this, Dan couldn't help but notice she did not look _surprised._

"I see," she said quietly. "Thank you doctor. If you don't mind I'd like a moment with my husband".

"Of course. Nurse Sarah will be by shortly to check on you."

"You don't look surprised", he said quietly.

Emma stared at him for a moment before shifting her eyes down to their daughter. "No. No, I can't say that I am." she replied in a whisper.

They stared at their daughter as she slept in her arms before she handed her to him. "Here. You need to hold her. Careful with her head now"

He sat down next to her bed, not trusting himself with such a precious cargo. A few tears rolled down her eyes as she looked at him holding her.

"It doesn't matter, you know. If I never get pregnant again, I mean. God gave us her. Besides, we can always adopt. The Granger household may grow yet Dan," she said smiling.

He nodded to her, struggling to hold back tears of his own. He had just adjusted his hold when the blanket slipped and revealed a birthmark on her ribcage. It was the clearest birthmark he had ever seen, almost as though someone had drawn it out on her little body. It was slightly darker than her skin tone, but clearly outlined. There, on her soft skin was a crescent moon surrounding a star burst.

"That's odd" he said lowly.

"What's odd love? If it's the hair, don't worry. Mine was just as patchy before it grew in" his wife replied with a smile.

"What? No, no. This birthmark. It looks too clean. Like someone drew it. Here, look," he said as he stood to hand her the baby.

What little color she had regained seemed to once again drain from her face when her eyes landed on the mark. Her eyes grew dark and he finally realized what he had seen when he walked in: fear. Just as quickly as it came it disappeared, replaced with a ferocity he had not seen since she told him she was running away with him. She looked like lioness getting ready to protect her cub.

"Love, what's the matter? It's just a birthmark, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about" he said to reassure her.

"No love, I don't think so. I think it's time we had a talk about my family" she said in a hoarse whisper.

She was interrupted, however, when Nurse Sarah walked back into the room.

"Have you chosen a name for her?" she asked. "We need it to finalize the birthing certificate."

He was about to ask her to come back when his wife spoke.

"Yes. Yes I think we have. Her name is Hermione Alya Granger."

Dan would never realize that his wife never did get around to telling him about her family. Emma never told him about the world she came from or what her mother had done to her the night she left her life behind.

 

*****Flashback*****

_'Oh so you want a brood of filthy half-bloods is that it? You would leave your family for that...that FILTH' her mother hissed at her as rain poured down on them._

_She had almost made it to the wall, but her mother had been waiting for her. Cassiopeia got ready to disarm and Obliviate her when her mother suddenly slashed her hand open. Too surprised by her actions, all she could was watch as her mother spoke._

_'Go then. Be a whore and tarnish this House. But you will not have what you so desperately want. May your womb deny you more than a single daughter. As you have taken from me, so I shall take from you' she said with a mad glint in her eye. 'Blood of my blood, so I do say'.  
_

_With those words a purple light slammed into her abdomen, burning for a split second before her body seemed to absorb it._

_'You insane vindictive bitch,' whispered a horrified Cassiopeia before she stunned her mother and performed the memory charm._

_She quickly made the glamour she wore permanent, changing raven locks to honey-blond, her gray eyes to hazel, and aging herself slightly. As she ran towards freedom and Dan who waited down the street she could only feel relief that she would be free; relief that she would not have to marry that monster come her sixteenth birthday next week. Her friend had procured all the necessary documents so that Emma Black, 18, could start a new life in the muggle world; and that same friend would make sure she 'died' that night._

_As she made it over the wall and looked back, she saw her mother crumbled on the grounds and knew that everyone would think the intruder had taken her mother down while she was out on a walk before making it inside to kill Cassie. Without stopping to think about it she snapped her wand over her knee and tucked the pieces besides the illegal wand she had in her pocket. She could not risk to do magic again, but neither would she leave herself and Dan completely vulnerable. As she left behind her childhood home, all she could think was ' I'm finally free.'_


	3. The First Signs

**16 March, 1985**

"Alya, love, it's time to come inside for lunch" she heard her mum call from the doors of the conservatory.

"Mum! Look what I can do!" little Alya said excitedly.

As she ran towards the her, Emma couldn't help but feel dread when looking at her daughter's striking features. She had inherited her riotous curls, but where hers were currently honey-blond, her daughter's were so black they had a blue sheen in the light. Her sunkissed complexion only served to highlight her button nose and eyes that were as dark as her hair. She could already see the beauty that she would become and it chilled her to the bone. She prayed the day never came where her features would be recognized for what they were: markings of a Black.

When Alya reached her mother she was frowning. _'Uh-oh. I hope she didn't find Grumps',_ thought the little girl. She thought she had hidden the kitten carefully in the loft. _'No, she would be much angrier if she had found Grumps'._

She thrust her little hand in front of her mother and showed proudly showed her the crumpled bluebell.

Her mother sighed. "Alya, darling. I've asked you to stay out of the flowerbeds," she said as she went to take it from her.

"Wait! Mum look what I can do!" she said excitedly.

As her mother looked, Alya knelt down in front of her in the yard. She placed the bluebell on the ground and covered it with her hand. As she scrunched up her little nose in concentration, Emma felt her stomach drop. She reached down to pick her up when..

"Aha! See mummy, see? I made it grow again! Now you don't have to be angry that I fell in your flowers! I can fix them!" she told her mother more than a little anxiously.

Emma, however, was too busy staring in shock at the fully grown bluebell at her feet. The flower was a radiant violet and seemed to follow her daughter's movements. Fear gripping her heart and she knelt in front of her daughter and grabbed her shoulders.

"Hermione, love, you have to promise me that you will never do this again!" she said frantically. "You must promise you will never show or tell Daddy or anyone else. Look at me darling. It isn't safe! Do you hear me? You must promise me! Never again love."

Alya frightened by her mum's tone began to cry. She only called her Hermione when she was in trouble or when other people were around. Her mum looked very afraid and Alya knew she had done something very wrong. She decided she wouldn't tell her about the little bird she had healed after it fell from its nest.

"Oh darling, don't cry. It's okay love. You musn't do this again, that's all. There are people in the world, love, that would not understand how special you are. There now," she said as she wiped her tearstained face. "Let's just go inside now and eat lunch. Then we'll go into the pool, how does that sound? Hmm?"

Alya nodded slowly and launched herself into her mum's arms. "I-I'm s-s-s-sorry mummy. I pr-pr-promise I won't do it a-a-again", she said as sobs racked her tiny frame.

Emma clutched her in her arms and knew that she would be unable to keep her daughter hidden from the world she had worked so hard to escape. There was no other choice now, she would have to go see him. Maybe he could help keep her safe.

* * *

**2 April, 1985**

**8 p.m.**

It had taken her two weeks of careful investigating to find out if there was any hope of help. Two weeks of jumping at every sound and not letting her daughter out of her sight. She had called in vacation time at work and when Dan asked her about it, she told him she just wanted to spend time with Alya. She had heard he had broken from the family but that did not mean he would take kindly to her. She was a disgrace, after all. Still, she was desperate and was left little choice in the matter. She would have to put her life and that of her daughter's in the hands of the one person who had ever tried to help her.

It was desperation that had her once again in robes, attaching her message to the first owl she saw.

 

_Pad, I need payment for your debt_

_-Raven_

 

' _Oh Morgana, let this work'_ was she thought fervently as the owl took flight.

* * *

**3 April, 1985**

**9 a.m.**

_Need 10 Potions for tomorrow._

 

It took her a moment to remember their old codes. _'Right then. Well. At least he didn't waste time. Tomorrow night at the Leaky. This better bloody work'._

* * *

 

**4 April, 1985**

**10 p.m.**

She finally saw the pub, nestled between two modern buildings. Although it had been almost fifteen years since she had last seen it, it hadn't changed at all. When she stepped inside she saw old Tom at the bar. She pulled the hood of her cloak down further over her face, though few would ever recognize her now. She had made sure of that the night she ran away.

She immediately saw him sitting in the back since few people still lingered this late on a Monday night. She advanced cautiously, still unsure of how we would react.

Grey eyes snapped up to her face at her approach. His eyes seemed to scrutinize her every facial feature, finally settling on the scar he could see by her ear.

"A reminder of the good old days, eh Siri?" she said softly.

At her words his eyes softened and he stood up quickly to embrace her. "Cassie…I-I thought you were dead" he said in a roughened voice.

She squeezes him harder before she replied. "Yes, well. That was rather the idea, you know. They would never have stopped hunting me otherwise."

Once they have taken a seat once more she stares at him. The boy she grew up was still there but it was clear he had grown. He had the Black curls framing a strong jaw, chiseled cheekbones, and full lips. His grey eyes still shone with the laughter and kindness of their childhood. _'Good. They didn't break him either'_ she thought proudly.

"Raven, I spent years looking for a trace of you when I joined the Aurors. Your death never sat right with me, especially when Andy didn't raise a finger after it came to light."

At the sound of her twin's name she was filled with pain. She saw her every three years but it was nowhere near enough to fill the hollow feeling of being separated from her other half.

"I had to leave her behind. It would have been too suspicious if we both disappeared. I knew she would leave soon enough with Ted. It had to be this way," she insisted.

"But why? Why on earth would you fake your death at fifteen and how the bloody hell did you just _disappear off the face of the bloody planet?"_ he demanded angrily.

She pursed her lips. "Polyjuice. A variant potion that lasts after death. I snapped my wand and got one on the black market, then used it to bind my magick so I could not be sensed or traced. I had…help. And before you ask, no. I will not say who" she said carefully. She would not risk the life of her friend to assuage Sirius's curiosity.

"Hhhmp", he said as he leaned back to stare at her. He really was handsome in the jeans and black shirt she could seen under his opened green robes. _'Then again, he always did know what made him look good. Arrogant vain prat that he is'_ she thought with affection.

"Look I haven't much time," she said urgently. "Before we do anything, I need a guarantee that you will not repeat anything without my consent. Not an Unbreakable, I don't want you dead. But a wizards' oath will do nicely" she said with a hard voice.

Sirius looked startled and offended at this. He opened his mouth to voice his opinion on the matter when she cut him off in a cold voice. "I couldn't give a rat's arse if your honor is mortally wounded by my words. You _will_ do the oath, cousin. I came to ask for help out of the friendship and love we had for each other as children. But make no mistake. I _will_ invoke the debt if my hand is forced."

If he had looked startled before, it was nothing compared to the look of abject shock he had after she finished speaking.

He cleared his throat. "Right then little viper," he said as he took out his wand. " _Sacramentum. On my magick,_ _I Sirius Orion Black will not reveal what is said without express permission from you."_ As he finished speaking he scored a small line across his palm with his wand until blood was drawn and he clasped it to her waiting hand.

Emma felt relief so strong when it was finished she could have cried. _'Not yet'_ she thought forcefully. ' _Fall apart when it's over and done with, and Alya is safe. But not yet."_ With this in mind, she cleared her throat and began to speak in an eerily flat voice.

"My daughter is in danger. The brand…she has the moon brand Sirius." At this, Sirius's eyes widened and he paled. He suddenly understood her aggressive approach.

"Fuck," he whispered shocked.

Emma nodded and amusement briefly flashed in her eyes as she said replied. "Yes. My thoughts exactly. She's already displaying earth magick and she's hasn't even turned five years old. I can't…I can't protect her from what's coming. I bound my magick and left myself vulnerable to magical attacks because it's the only thing that would keep us safe. But now…now my baby's in trouble and _I can't teach her control and I can't hide her_." She finished in a ragged breath, fighting back tears.

' _Not yet. She's not safe yet'_ she reminded herself.

"Hey. Hey Cassie, don't. I'll help you keep her safe. They won't get her. What's her name? What's she look like?" he asked hoping to distract her for a moment.

"Hermione. Hermione Alya. I have a picture in my wallet, hold on." She ruffled through her wallet until she found the picture she had taken of Alya at the park with her friend Claire. "I trust I don't need to tell her which one she is," she said dryly.

"She's a beauty" Sirius told her sincerely. "Well hell. No one would ever mistake her as anything other than a Black though" he thought worriedly.

"Sirius. I need your help. I need you to hide her. You know as well as I do what that brand means for her. It's been foretold in the family grimoire for centuries. If it's discovered that she is my daughter, he will come for her. I need you to help me protect my baby" she said desperately, gripping his hand as though afraid he'd try to slip away.

"Cassie, he's gone. You don't have to worry. He was destroyed on All Hallow's Eve when—"

"Dammit Sirius you're not listening," she said as she suddenly slammed her fist on the table. "He will return. You know what's written in the grimoire. You know what Cassandra said! She said SHE. SHE Sirius. He'll be back. And when he is, he'll come for her!" she snarled at him.

Sirius stared at his cousin as her words chilled his blood. He didn't want to believe what she was saying, but he knew it was true. He had known since the night he had taken Harry away from the rubble of Godric's Hollow. It just broke him to know that his friends had died in vain. He wanted to believe he was gone for good, that the death and darkness had come to an end. The desperation and pain that had bled into Cassie's voice, however, finally made him let go of that belief and face a simple fact: the bloodshed was not over yet.

He knew he would do it, had known he would do anything when he realized it was Cassiopeia that needed him. It was because of her that he broke with Walburga and met the Potters. It was because of her that he had a life and instead of being enslaved to a madman. Cassie had risked her life to save him. The least he could do was protect her child.

"Blood adoption" he said seemingly out of nowhere.

"What?" she said startled.

"How we'll hide her. I'm going to adopt her. The grimoire says she'll be born to _she who thrice defied him_. SHE Cassie," he said excitedly. "No one will pay attention if I adopt her because she's expected to come from a female descendent of the House. The war has left enough orphans that no one will wonder where she came from. With a blood adoption, a child takes on traits of that blood. It will explain her features and her magical signature!" he said, becoming more excited as it all started to fall into place. "She will be virtually unchanged but everyone will believe her appearance is the result of the adoption. And no one will bat an eye at me adopting her since I already have Harry."

Emma had been silent throughout his explanation, trying to accept the fact that she would have to give up her child and have Sirius _Obliviate_ both Alya and Dan. At the mention of Harry, however, her eyes filled with pain. "I heard about James and Lily. And Dorea and Charlus as well. I'm sorry Pad. I know they were family. But you'll be a great father to Harry".

They fell silent for a moment, each thinking of those they had lost over the years.

"You'll have to _Obliviate_ my husband, Dan. He doesn't know anything. I almost told him at the hospital when Alya was born but it's safer if he remains ignorant. Alya will need a memory block put in place. She can know when she's older but until she reaches her majority it's too dangerous", she whispered after a few minutes.

"Cassie—" Sirius began but she interrupted him.

"No. This is my decision Sirius. I love my husband but he would never be able to do what is necessary. He would try to keep her with us and that road leads only to my daughter getting hurt. They will never forgive me if the day ever comes when we can have her back in our lives _but she will be safe_. She will be _alive_ , and for that I am willing to do anything. I will sacrifice everything if it means my baby will be safe" she told him resolutely.

Sirius sighed but stopped trying to persuade her. "We will have to move quickly love. If she is already manifesting magick, we know it will only get stronger. She will not be able to control it, especially the elementals. Sooner rather than later the Ministry will pick up on the power flares that are happening in the middle of a muggle neighborhood," he warned her.

She didn't even flinch. Her eyes were steely as she replied "I will need your help erasing all trace of her from the muggle world. I can handle the paperwork but you'll need to help me perform the spell to erase memories."

"Of course," he said immediately.

She nodded once. "Right then. This is my address. You will need to come Wednesday morning to perform the spell since Dan will be home come lunchtime. She will leave with you afterwards."

Although she spoke steadily, tears began to fall down her cheek unchecked by the time she stood from the table.

He rose to embrace her. "Don't worry. I'll take care of things on my end."

"Thank you Pads," she whispered into his chest. She couldn't bring herself to let go of him quite yet.

"Anything for you Raven."

It was hours after having said goodbye to Sirius that she found herself at home again. She had taken the longer route home, doubling back twice and driving in circles to make sure she was not followed. Gripped by a sudden need to see her child she jogged up the stairs to Alya's room. She stood outside the door for a moment before opening it. Alya was asleep curled up on her side. Her black curls splayed across her pillow and stuck to her little cheek and her eyelids fluttered as she dreamed.

Seeing her so peaceful and safe was the straw that broke the camel's back. With a shuddering breath her legs gave out and she slid down the wall until she hit the ground. She brought her knees against her chest as she felt her heart break at the thought of what had to happen. Silent sobs raked her body for hours as she grieved the loss of her child. It was the early hours of the morning before they subsided enough for her to drag herself off the floor. She thought of going to her husband but she couldn't bare to be separated from Alya just yet. With an exhausted sigh she lied down behind her child and cuddled her close.

"I love you so much sweetheart," she whispered into her soft curls.

 _'Oh Morgana. Please let this work'_ was her last thought before she finally surrendered to exhausted sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment to let me know what you think!


	4. Spirited Away

**6** **April** **, 1985**

When Sirius woke up the events of the past two days hit him with the force of a freight train. The worry, fear, and anxiety he had carried since he received that owl flared to life and settled deep in his chest. He had spent every waking moment since leaving Cassie at the Ministry researching every detail and fact about blood adoptions. He had even had to resort to the Ministry when the Black library held only a scattering of paragraphs.

' _Not_ _that_ _I_ _'_ _m_ _surprised_ _,_ _really_ _._ _Tourjour_ _Pur_ _and_ _all_ _that_ _rot_ _,'_ he thought with disgust.

Although not exactly forbidden, Pureblood families looked down on blood adoptions. It was a privilege typically only granted to Pureblooded godchildren who had been orphaned—and then only if they were girls, for the males needed to carry on the name of their House. It was the reason he had not done a blood adoption with Harry. He was the last Potter and needed to carry on the family name—needed to keep the memory of James alive. What he was attempting to do, or at least what everyone would believe he was going to do, was adopt a stranger into one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Wizarding Britain. Once word of what he was doing at the Ministry reached the Heads of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, he had received dozens of owls all but demanding an explanation.

Sirius snorted, _'_ _Yes_ _well_ _._ _I_ _'_ _m_ _the_ _damned_ _Head_ _of_ _the_ _House_ _and_ _I_ _will_ _do_ _as_ _I_ _damn_ _well_ _please_ _._ _If_ _it_ _ruffles_ _their_ _feathers_ _,_ _well_ _,_ _that_ _'_ _s_ _just_ _a_ _bonus,_ _'_ he thought with glee.

The process was pretty straight forward and there would be minimal involvement from the Ministry. He would need to perform some blood magick during the ritual but it was relatively straight forward. Thankfully it didn't look like it would frighten a child to be involved, the last thing he needed was a hysterical little girl. Once he was done, a scroll would appear documenting her new name at the proper desk at the Ministry to be filed away. The ritual would also change the name that was written in Hogwart's list of future students—a nice little tidbit he'd found in some of the Ministry records—which had never even occurred to him during this whole mad venture.

He reached under his pillow for his wand and cast a _Tempus_ , noting that it was 6:42 a.m. He had hours still before he had to meet Raven but he needed to get up to make sure everything was in order.

He sat up in bed and yawned and his jaw popped loudly. "Tilly!" he called once he finished rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

With a slight _crack_ a little house elf appeared at his bedside. She was smaller than the average elf, with huge sky blue eyes and floppy ears. She wore the pristine gray uniform with the Black crest over her heart that all of his elves now wore. They had been cut, tailored, and embroidered from pillowcases by the elves themselves, having refused actual clothes. Tilly was the youngest of the elves, at only fifty years old. She was also Sirius's personal elf because, despite her apparent youth, she knew to respect his boundaries. She did what he asked, nothing more or less. That kind of precision was difficult to find in his overzealous house elves.

"Good morning Master Black. What can Tilly do for you sir?" he squeaked.

"Good morning Tilly" he replied with a smile. "I'm am going to need you to accompany me for the rest of the day; you'll need to check in with Dessy to let her know." Dessy was the manor's house elf matron, in charge of making sure things ran smoothly in the household. She was also Tilly's mother and would skin Sirius's hide raw if he took Tilly child without notifying her first. Or at the very least make sure his meals were inedible for the foreseeable future. He had learned _that_ the hard way.

"Oh mother will not be too happy with Tilly. Tilly was supposed to be cleaning Master Harry's toy room," the elf said as he anxiously tugged on her ears.

"Just tell her it's an order from me Tilly. She can scold me later, yeah?" he said with a grin. He looked at the little elf for a moment before speaking to her in a serious voice. "Now Tilly, whatever we do today, whatever you see, you cannot tell or repeat to anyone without my permission. Do you understand? That's an order Tilly. Not even Dessy may know."

The little elf's eyes grew bigger, which Sirius had not known was even possible, before she quickly nodded her head. "Tilly will not tell nobody Master Black! Tilly is a good house elf!" she said seriously.

"Good. Now, I need you to bring me up a quick breakfast before we leave. Something light please. Oh and an anti-nausea potion if you can. I think I may have overdone it with the coffee the past two days."

" _Tsk_ _tsk_. Tilly be telling Master to not drink three pots of coffee but Master would not listen!" she scolded him.

Sirius laughed, "You're right Tilly. I'll listen next time, I promise."

"Hmph. That is what you be saying the last three times Master Black" she said with accusing eyes. "But don't worry. Tilly be bringing your breakfast and your potion." And with a _crack_ she was gone.

Sirius stood up to get dressed and was just pulling a shirt over his head when his door opened and bright green eyes peered inside cautiously.

Every time Sirius looked at Harry he felt a sting in his heart. ' _He looks_ _just_ _like_ _Prongs_ _'_ he thought for what must have been the millionth time as he looked at his messy black hair. _'_ _Except_ _those_ _jewels_ _he_ _has_ _for_ _eyes_ _._ _Those_ _are_ _all_ _Lil_ _—'_

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, for he had just seen that those bright green eyes were flooding with unshed tears.

Harry ran inside and wrapped himself in Sirius's leg, crying as he clutching his trousers. Sirius bent down to pick him up and Harry immediately burrowed his wet face into his neck. Sobs wracked his little body but he wouldn't answer any of Sirius's questions. He had to settle for rocking him a bit before Harry calmed down enough to talk. Sirius felt him rub his nose against his shoulder, no doubt covering it in tears and snot.

' _Well_ _._ _At_ _least_ _it_ _wasn_ _'_ _t_ _a_ _silk_ _shirt_ _this_ _time,_ _'_ was his only thought before Harry began to speak.

"Papa, I heard the screaming again," he said in a trembling voice.

At his words Sirius felt his heart break. Harry had been having these nightmares for years, waking up screaming in the middle of the night. The first time it had happened he had barged in wand blazing and ready to fight. The house elves were not far behind, all five of them appearing with a loud _crack_ _,_ their hands held before them ready to defend their Master. Of course the commotion only served to frighten Harry further, making him near hysterical, and it was a moment before Sirius realized there was no imminent threat to Harry. When it kept happening, he realized Harry must be having nightmares.

When Harry was younger Sirius had no idea why he woke up screaming; he thought Harry was just having run-of-the-mill boogie man nightmares. It wasn't until he was a little over 4 that he could explain what his dream was. He saw green light, a woman screaming _'_ _NOOOO_ _NOT_ _HARRY_ _!'_ and he could hear a man's laugh.

Harry might not understand what he was dreaming, but Sirius knew his pup was reliving his mother's murder. It had gotten better in recent months; Sirius had discovered that Harry slept through the night as long as he read to him before bed and waited with him until he fell asleep. The last two nights, however, Sirius had been too busy to complete their bedtime ritual and the nightmares had resurfaced.

Sirius hugged Harry tighter and swallowed hard before answering. "It's okay Harry. I've got you. Nothing's going to happen to you, pup. You're safe here," he told him softly.

There was a _crack_ as Tilly appeared in the room with his breakfast and the morning paper. The sudden sound made the little boy jump in his arms and tense momentarily before he saw the little elf. Tilly looked at his tearstained face, realized what had happened, and silently disappeared only to reappear a second later with Harry's favorite stuffed toy.

Tilly levitated it to Harry and he reached out to cuddle his "Prongsie" close. "Thanks Tilly," he said between sniffles, calming almost immediately.

"Harry," Sirius began carefully, "do you remember what I told you last night at dinner?"

"Yes. You said I was going to have a sister today. Why Papa? Do you not want me anymore?" he asked as his eyes filled with tears once more.

"Oh pup that's not it at all. I love you! You're my son and having a sister won't change that," he told him seriously as he hugged him tighter. "But do you remember how I told you that you came to live with me because you're parents were gone?" he waited until Harry nodded before he continued. "Well her parents are gone too, pup. She needs a family to love her and keep her safe. I'm going to adopt her and my magic will make her look like him, and a bit like you I imagine"

Harry considered his words carefully before deciding that having a sister didn't mean his dad didn't want him anymore. He nodded slowly before looking Sirius in the eye. "I'll help protect her Papa. I'll keep her safe," he said, green eyes earnest. Then, "I'll even let her borrow my broom," he said proudly.

Sirius barked out a laugh. "There's a good lad. Go back to sleep Harry. She'll be here when you wake up," he said before falling silent and continuing to rock him in his arms.

It took a few more minutes before Harry was sound asleep once more, cradled against his chest. Sirius walked to his bed before tucking him in, making sure Harry's Prongsie was right next to him under the blanket. He set up some wards to alert the house-elves when Harry woke up and placed a barrier around the bed to prevent him rolling off. Having finished he strode to his wardrobe quickly to change into a clean shirt. It was now 7:30 and he was running a bit late.

"Tilly," he said quietly as he hurriedly pulled on a new shirt, "I will need you to run to Gringotts and pick up a form to update my will. I will also need you to run down to the apothecary, the one in Knockturn mind you, and pick up the potions I had ordered," he told her as he started to shovel food in his mouth.

"Here," he said as he handed her a pouch of galleons and tried to drink his tea at the same time. "I already counted out the payment so all you need to do is give it to Callum. Remember to put on the uniform without the crest, okay Tilly? Don't need the press hounding me about why my house elf was seen entering a shop in the dark alley."

"Of course Master, Tilly will do it right away sir! Oh and mother be saying that just because Master is older does not mean that mother will not still hover you over her knee."

Sirius was in the process of drinking the rest of his tea when Tilly gave this pronouncement, causing him to choke and spray it everywhere as laughter erupted from him. He looked over guilty at Harry as he continued to cough to see if he'd woken him but his pup was still sound asleep.

"Master!" squeaked Tilly before snapping her fingers so the tea left his lungs. It only made Sirius laugh harder, knowing that Dessy was completely, well _serious_ _._

"It's okay Tilly. Thank you. Tell Dessy that I don't doubt that but it will have to wait for another day," he said still chortling. "Now then, get going and meet me back here at 9."

"Right away Master Black!" and with a _crack_ she disappeared.

' _Please_ _let_ _her_ _remember_ _to_ _change_ _her_ _uniform,_ _'_ he thought as he did a quick _Scourgify_ to clear up the mess he'd made with his tea.

He looked at Harry one more time before leaving his room and heading to the Manor's library. He wanted to go over the memory spell one more time before going to Cassie's home.

' _We_ _can_ _'_ _t_ _afford_ _to_ _make_ _a_ _mistake_ _with_ _this_ _,'_ he thought as he pulled out the parchment he had filled with his notes the previous night. He went through and checked his work, thanking every deity he could think of that Lily had talked him into taking Ancient Runes and Arithmancy with her their last year.

 

*****Flashback*****

" _If_ _you_ _'_ _re_ _going_ _to_ _be_ _an_ _insufferable_ _pranking_ _prat_ _,_ _the_ _least_ _you_ _could_ _do_ _is_ _take_ _these_ _with_ _me so_ _I_ _have_ _a_ _study_ _partner,_ _"_ _she_ _said_ _with_ _a_ _pout_ _as_ _they_ _sat_ _in_ _the_ _Great_ _Hall_ _eating_ _breakfast_ _._

_They_ _needed_ _to_ _select_ _their_ _courses_ _for_ _the_ _next_ _year_ _and_ _hand_ _them in_ _to_ _their_ _Head_ _of_ _House_ _by_ _10_ _a_ _._ _m._ _that_ _morning._ _Needless_ _to_ _say_ _,_ _Sirius_ _had_ _yet_ _to_ _even_ _start_ _his_ _._

" _But_ _I_ _'_ _d_ _rather_ _be_ _a_ _perfect_ _pranking_ _prat_ _._ _Try_ _saying_ _that_ _three_ _times_ _fast_ _Lils,_ _"_ _he_ _said_ _with_ _a_ _laugh_ _._

" _Please_ _Sirius_ _?"_ _she_ _asked_ _with_ _a_ _pleading_ _look_ _in_ _those_ _big_ _emerald_ _eyes_ _of_ _hers_ _._

" _Oh_ _alright_ _,_ _no_ _need_ _to_ _pout_ _,"_ _he_ _said_ _._ _He_ _knew_ _full_ _well that_ _he_ _could_ _never_ _deny_ _the_ _girl_ _anything_ _._ _He_ _had_ _a_ _soft_ _spot_ _for_ _the_ _fiery_ _-_ _haired_ _girl_ _that_ _had_ _stood_ _toe_ _-_ _to_ _-_ _toe_ _with_ _his_ _mother_ _on_ _the_ _platform_ _after_ _hearing_ _how_ _she_ _treated_ _her_ _son_ _. '_ _But if_ _Prongs_ _or_ _Moony_ _ask,_ _you_ _blackmailed_ _me_ _,_ _yeah_ _?_ _They_ _would_ _never_ _let_ _me_ _live_ _it_ _down_ _.'_

*****End of flashback*****

 

' _Well_ _,_ _everything_ _looks_ _good,_ _'_ he thought as he shook himself from the memory _. '_ _It_ _should_ _work_ _._ _Just_ _need_ _a_ _bit_ _of_ _the_ _girl_ _'_ _s_ _hair_ _to_ _add_ _to_ _the_ _potion_ _before_ _I_ _drink_ _it_ _to_ _cast_ _the_ _spell_ _,'_ he thought as he rubbed his tired eyes _._

Just then there was a _crack_ and Tilly appeared. Or at least it _sounded_ like Tilly. All Sirius could see was a big box of potions with her long fingers wrapped around it, barely keeping it off the floor, and her ears peaking over the edges of the box. He was highly amused to realize she was muttering about goblins' self-importance as she struggled to hold it in place. He hurried over to help her with the box and saw that she also carried a stack of forms from Gringotts under her arm.

' _Hmm_ _._ _Perhaps_ _I_ _should_ _have_ _sent_ _Lu_ _with_ _her_ _'_ he thought guiltily. He was just about to apologize to her when the little elf burst into tears and started tugging at her ears.

"Oh Tilly be being late to leave with Master Black, oh Tilly is sorry Master but those goblins would not hurry and would not let Tilly leave to tells you sir. Oh Tilly is being a bad elf to Master" she said hysterically, all the while pulling on her ears.

' _Shit_ _what_ _time_ _is_ _it_ _?'_ he thought once he realized what Tilly was saying. He cast a _Tempus_ and saw the 9:10 form in the air. _'_ _Oh_ _she_ _might_ _just_ _kill_ _me_ _if_ _I_ _don_ _'_ _t_ _get_ _over_ _there_ _now_ _.'_

"Tilly. Tilly!" he tried to calm her to no avail.

"TILLY!" he finally yelled when her cries drowned out his voice. "Tilly it's fine. I am not angry. You are a very good house elf. There's a girl, good, no more tears. Now Tilly," he said as he decanted the potion he needed from the box. "I need you to transport us to this address. There will possibly be wards on the other side, do you think you can do that? We need to be inside the house, where the neighbors won't see us. We'll be in a muggle neighborhood you see."

"Tilly can do it sir! Tilly is good house elf and can get through wards" she replied indignantly.

Without another word she grabbed his arm and transported them away. When he opened his eyes he was standing in the middle of a spacious living room done in a tones of blue and gray. He looked around and saw that for all its homey appearance, the furniture and decorations looked expensive and tasteful. His cousin had done well for herself on her own.

"Cassie?" he called out tentatively, not wanting to scare her.

"Sirius? Oh good, you're here. I was worried something had happened and oh!" she said as she caught sigh of Tilly. "Who's this beauty behind you?" she asked with a smile.

At her words Tilly seemed to swell with pride and she batter her ears a bit before declaring, "I am Tilly, missus. I am Master Black's house elf".

"Oh, well nice to meet you Tilly", replied Cassie with a smile. His cousin had always had a soft spot for magical creatures and those their society had cast out. Never a harsh word to those she saw as vulnerable.

"Well come this way. She's in the kitchen eating breakfast," she said in a strained voice.

' _Can't imagine_ _she's_ _too_ _thrilled_ _to_ _see_ _us_ _knowing_ _we_ _'_ _re_ _taking_ _her_ _pup_ _away_ _'_ thought Sirius. If anyone had tried to take Harry from him, he would have tried to kill them. And he wasn't actually his son. He can only imagine the rage at having to willingly give up her baby.

'Alya, love, we have some visitors. Remember what I told you this morning? This is Uncle Sirius. And this beauty is Tilly, she's a house elf love," she said gesturing to the elf that hid behind his leg. "Tilly this is my daughter Alya."

Sirius knew he had already seen pictures of the girl, but he was still unprepared for just how much the child looked like a young Bella. It wasn't until you looked into her eyes that you realized how different she was, however. Where Bella's had always been cold and cruel, Alya's midnight eyes were warm and filled with laughter and kindness.

"Hello Uncle Siri-Siri-Sirius." Her nose had scrunched up adorably as she struggled with his name and he heard Cassie's breath hitch when she saw this. He silently gave her hand a squeeze before kneeling in front of the girl.

"Hello little love. You can call me Uncle Siri if it's easier. It's what your mum called me when we were little, you know" he told her with a wink that made her giggle.

"Alya, can you do me a favor sweet?" he said as he glanced up at Cassie's tight face. "Will you go up to your room and grab your hair comb? It has to be one that only you use, okay sweetheart? Good, Tilly will go with, won't you Tilly?"

"Of course Master Black! I will go with the young miss" replied the elf in her high-pitched voice.

As they left the room Sirius pulled out potion vial from his pocket and handed it to his cousin. "This will do the trick. Just need a hair from her. Once I take it, I say the incantation and anyone outside of the circle will forget about her," he told her in a low voice. When the tears began to overflow, he pulled her into a tight hug.

' _Not_ _yet_ _,'_ she thought. _'_ _She_ _'_ _s_ _not_ _safe_ _yet_ _'._

She stayed in his arms a moment longer before grabbing her despair and pain and forcing them into a box. She could drown in them later. Right now she needed to make sure she made Alya safe.

When she pulled away from him her face went expressionless, her features set in the blank mask she had not worn for almost fifteen years. It unsettled Sirius to see the change go through her. Her eyes dimmed and hardened and her lips thinned. It was the face she had worn when her father had offered her as a warprize to his Master. He snapped out of that train of thought when he heard her speak.

"There is no record of her in the muggle world. I went to the hospital and erased her medical files. I withdrew her from school and deleted her files from their database late last night. Officially, Hermione Alya Granger was never in this world. I've already taken down every picture of her in the house. Here," she said as she handed him a box. "She will want these one day. I cannot keep them here; it's too risky if I'm found. You need to put them in the vault. Keep them safe until she's ready."

"I will," he promised her.

"You'll have to change her name as well. We cannot leave it to chance. I will not have 'Hermione' traced back to her," she said in a hard voice.

"A-are you sure?" he asked shocked.

"Quite. After today she will be Mia Alya Black. The only record of her middle name was on her birth certificate. I was reluctant to put it anywhere else—us Blacks are notorious for our constellations, after all. And…it will serve her at Hogwarts," she said carefully, knowing Sirius thought she meant that Alya would belong to the House of Black. She was quiet for a moment. "You must promise me you will not cast her out if she is not a lion like you or your boy. Oh don't look surprised, we both know Harry will be a lion. Promise me Sirius. There is a good chance she will be in Slytherin. I was a serpent, after all. You might have a viper in your home when the time comes," she said, lips twitching.

He sighed dramatically before straightening up. "I promise. I would not follow in my parents footsteps Raven," he said solemnly.

"One more thing then," she said as she accepted his promise. "You will teach her everything I can't. There is no avoiding what is coming and I will have her prepared. You must give me your word that she will learn how to defend herself, from magical and physical attacks both. You will push her until she could take on Moody himself with her eyes close. Until she could take _me_ on when I was at my peak. And then you will push her harder still, do you understand? I will not have my daughter killed, after all the effort I have made to keep her safe, simply because we neglected our duty to her" she told him fiercely.

' _If_ _that_ _'s_ _not_ _a_ _scary_ _image_ _,_ _I_ _don_ _'_ _t_ _know_ _what_ _is_ _,'_ thought Sirius as he remembered the warrior Cassie had been trained to be. That she was able to escape was a testament to how powerful she was at the tender age of fifteen.

' _Then_ _again_ _._ _Cygnus_ _had_ _promised_ _her_ _to_ _o_ _one of_ _the_ _most_ _powerful_ _men_ _of_ _the_ _time_ _._ _She_ _would_ _have_ _had_ _to_ _be_ _powerful_ _to_ _survive_ _him_ _,'_ he thought grimly. For although his Uncle had been a dark and cruel bastard before his death, he had loved his daughters and had made sure they would fall prey to none. _'_

 _'He_ _might_ _have_ _overdone_ _it_ _with_ _Bella_ _though_ _,'_ he thought with grim amusement before shaking himself from his thoughts to answer her.

"She will have the best tutors there are, Raven. I will make sure she can keep herself safe. And before you remind me, I won't forget about physical training. Merlin knows your left hook saved _us_ often enough." They fell silent then, when they heard them returning.

"Oh miss not so fast, you will fall. You must listen to Tilly young miss!" they heard the little elf say firmly before they came in at a more sedate pace.

"There's a girl, thanks love," he told her as she handed him her little hair comb.

"Now Alya love, we're going to go on a trip. Me and your mum are going to get things ready down here. I want you to go upstairs again. Tilly's going to help you pack. Maybe if you ask nicely, she'll show you how elves pack things up," he told her with a smile.

"Yay! Mama where are we going? Are we going to see the ocean in France again?" she asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise, little fox. You'll see when we get there," she replied with a forced smile.

"Okay!" and she was off at a run to her room.

"Tilly, while you're up there, I need you to cast the strongest wards you can. First around this house so no magick performed can be detected by the Ministry. Then the room. The wards have to be strong enough to block and hide blood magick, you understand? Pack Alya's things up quickly, all of it. Leave nothing behind. After you're done I need you to put a memory block for everything up until today. Don't erase, just block and plant vague memories of her at an orphanage. Give her false memories about her appearance and change her name to 'Mia Alya'. When you feel the spell activating, do what you must to make sure she does not leave the room. I will call for you when you can come down," he said in his most serious voice.

Tilly nodded solemnly before disappearing with a _crack_ _._ Almost immediately they felt the air thicken and hum with power as Tilly began to put up the wards.

' _Elves_ _are_ _power_ _creatures_ _and_ _seriously_ _underestimated_ _,'_ he thought.

His cousin kept shooting looks at the ceiling as he began to draw circle of runes in the air with his wand.

"Don't worry Cassie. She'll keep her safe. Elf wards are powerful enough to block out this spell. Tilly might look small, but she's a fierce one," he reassured her.

"Emma," she said quietly. "I go by Emma now," she clarified at his look of confusion.

"Oh," he said surprised. "I guess you'd have to have changed your name. Don't think if I'll be able to make the switch though, it's too strange," he said after a moment. "How about I just stick to Raven?" he asked with a smile.

Her lips twitched at the corners and her eyes warmed up at the mention of her school nickname. She hadn't spread her wings as Raven in years.

They were quiet for the next twenty minutes as he worked, not wanting to disturb his concentration. What he was attempting to do was highly complex and would cost him much of his magical energy. When he was finally done he stepped back to observe his work and was pleased with what he saw. The circle glowed a bright blue and the runes flashed in and out of sight, just like the book said. Now came the hard part.

"Okay Raven. I need you to step into the circle and stand absolutely still," he instructed her as he carefully added a single strand of black hair to the potion. The moment the hair touched it, it flared bright and changed from the burnt orange color to the same blue of the circle.

' _So far_ _so_ _good_ _,'_ thought Sirius.

"Ready Raven?" he asked as he joined her in the center. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay, here we go."

Sirius removed the stopper and drank the potion in one go. He immediately pulled his wand and began to draw the final rune of the circle.

" _Removere_ _e_ _memoria_ _mundi_ _"_ he said as he finished. He then drew blood with a knife across his hand. As the blood welled, he clearly said " _In_ _pretium_ _sanguinis_ " and began to move around the perimeter of the circle, dripping blood every few steps. When the circle was complete a strong wind tore through the house, knocking over furniture and breaking the windows. The light above them exploded and the cupboards opened and slammed shut all around them. Sirius had jumped at the first gust of wind but Cassie never even flinched. It was only when everything settled that she let out a shuddering breath and looked at him with pain-filled eyes.

"Is it done?" she asked him barely above a whisper. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, so he just nodded.

"Tilly" he called after a few more moments.

 _Crack_ _._ She was standing with several shrunken boxes in her arms and a sleeping Alya levitating behind her.

"Tilly did as you asked sir. She will not remember anything until the block is removed."

"Well done Tilly. Here let me help you with those boxes" he said as he began to put place them in his coat's pocket.

"Good. Raven, love, you need to say goodbye. Every moment we linger puts her in danger, and you as well," he tried to remind her gently.

Cassie slowly approached her daughter, staring intently at her lovely face before scooping her out of her air and holding her close. She buried her nose in her curls and closed her eyes, listening to her breathe. She spelled like the lavender shampoo she had gotten for herself and found in Alya's bathroom two days later. She hugger her daughter closer as a few tears escaped. Her heart felt like it was shattering knowing this might be the last time for years that she would see her baby.

After a few minutes she knew it was time. She bent her head and kissed her daughter's forehead gently.

"I love you my little fox. You'll be in my heart forever, sweetheart. Know that I do this because I must. I am tearing out my heart to keep you safe" she whispered brokenly into her hair. "Goodbye baby" she said finally before handing her over to Sirius.

"I will protect her with my life Raven. She will not want for love with me and Harry. And when the time comes, she will know how you love her" he promised her as he tucked Alya close. "We must go now. Tilly, make sure the magick has dissipated and we leave no trace behind. Take down the wards but leave an alert notice for danger."

Cassie began to protest at this but he looked at her fiercely. "I will be damned if I lose you again. Your child will need you in the years to come. As will I. The wards stay" he said in the voice he reserved when making decisions as Lord Black.

She stared at him a moment, realizing he would not budge on this, before nodding her head.

"Good. Ready Tilly?" he asked as she finished twitching her fingers in the air.

"Yes Master Black. Tilly has finished the wards. No wizard or witch will find Tilly's work" she said confidently.

"Take us to the manor then Tilly" he said. The little elf reached up to grab his hand in one of hers and Alya's in the other before disappearing with a muffled _crack_.

As soon as they disappeared from sight, Emma's legs gave out and she crumbled to the ground with a soundless cry.

' _She_ _'_ _s s_ _afe_ _._ _She_ _'_ _s_ _finally_ _safe_ _,'_ was all she could think before she was drowning in the anguish she had kept such a tight lid on. The pain was immense and wave after wave crashed against her, her heart breaking anew at the realization that she would not hear her daughter's sweet voice calling for her or see her wild curls in the morning when she woke up.

' _But_ _she_ _'_ _s_ _safe_ _._ _I_ _can_ _live_ _with_ _this_ _pain_ _if_ _it_ _means_ _she_ _will_ _be_ _safe_ ,' she thought as she finally stood up. Dan would be home soon and he could not see her like this—it would bring up too many questions. With this in mind she straightened her back and wiped her cheeks clean of tears. She was a Black woman, after all. And Black women did what was necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ritual that Sirius will performed means that he will not have to Obliviate Dan, Emma's husband. Also, in case it hasn't become apparent, Cassiopeia was in the same year as the Marauders and Lily at Hogwarts. As for the prophecy, all will be explained in due time.


	5. Welcome to the Family

**6 April, 1985**

Sirius opened his eyes to see the Manor's receiving room. He always felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him when he thought of how different the manor was now. No longer were there dark objects proudly on display on the walls, nor did the air hum with dark magick. It had taken the elves two days to get rid of that permeating magick from the room, but once they had, it was as if an entire new room had sprung up in its place.

He had changed the walls' color from Slytherin green to off-white, and that simple thing had made the whole place appear bigger and brighter than it ever had. The rug in the receiving room which his grandmother had placed close to the staircase had been promptly burned—because Merlin only knew where she had gotten it—and replaced with one done in proud Gryffindor red. The wall's panels had been changed from black to warm brown, as had the floor boards. His favorite, though, were the pictures that had replaced the family portraits. He had hung up dozens of pictures throughout the manor; pictures from the Marauders' days at Hogwarts (after Peter had been spelled out, of course), James's and Lily's wedding pictures, pictures of Harry with his parents, the only Potter family picture he had, and some of him with Harry. As he glance at the pictures he saw 3-year-old Harry zoom about on his toy broom, a foot off the floor, as he ran away from Tilly who was trying to coerce him into a bath.

' _Not much has changed since then,'_ he thought in amusement.

"You can go now Tilly. Tell Dessy you're back. If I need anything else, I will call for you."

"Yes Master Black", she said before disappearing with a slight _crack._

Just then he felt Alya shift in his arms, her little eyes fluttering as she woke up. Tilly had placed a temporary glamour on her to change her appearance; she needed to believe her new looks were the product of the adoption not her parentage. The glamour had given her the hazel eyes and frizzy honey-blond curls that Cassie had adopted as her disguise. The glamour would be easily broken once the ritual was complete, giving her back her dark looks.

When she opened her eyes and saw him, she gave him a sweet smile. "Hello, sir," she said as she looked around. "Where are we? Is there where we will live?" she asked with wide eyes. Then she turned to him and said in a very small voice, "Does this mean you will be my Papa now?"

It broke his heart knowing that she had no recollection of Cassie or her husband—that all she remembered now was being in an orphanage and Sirius's recent adoption of her. He swallowed hard before replying with forced cheerfulness. "It sure does, little fox. The adoption means I'm your Papa now. Welcome to Black Manor, your new home" he told her with a smile.

"It's so big! Will I have my own room?" she asked as he began to climb the staircase with her in his arms. He was heading to the third floor, which was filled with empty rooms. He had set up the one at the end of the hall the night before, leaving it preped it for the adoption ritual.

"Of course! And we will decorate it however you want, love." He promised with a smile.

"Now then, I'll show you your new room and we'll go see Harry in a bit—he's going to be your new big brother. How does that sound?" he asked as he stepped into the room. "But first we need to do something."

"What do we need to do?" she asked as he set her down.

"Remember how I had to sign some papers at the orphanage to bring you home?" he asked her carefully, unsure of exactly what memories Tilly had given her. He'd have to talk to the little elf after he was done here.

"Uh-huh. Mrs. Brown said the papers gave you..gardenship of me," she said with a puckered brow as she tried the new word. She turned to look at him, nose wrinkled in confusion. "Papa, what does gardenship mean?"

"You mean guardianship, love. Guardianship just means that I am responsible for you, that I'm your Papa now."

"Oh okay. Well if you already have gardenship of me, what do we have to do?"

"Well, little fox, you are a very special girl. You're a witch, you see. Has anyone ever told you what that means?" he asked as he knelt in front of her. She shook her head.

"It means there's magic inside of you. There's a whole world of witches. And wizards—that's what we call the men that have magic inside them," he said as he pointed to his chest.

"Silly Papa, witches aren't real. Mrs. Brown said so," she said giggling.

"Have you ever done something that other children couldn't do? Maybe make something break or fly?" and as soon as he did he saw her eyes widen with fear.

"No, no I promised Papa! I promised I wouldn't do that. Mrs. Brown told me so" she told him anxiously.

He remembered Cassie telling him that she had begun to display the elementals. Cassie's fear had obviously left an impression if it was able to bleed past the block.

"It's all right sweetheart, you're not in trouble. Mrs. Brown just didn't want you to hurt yourself, or scare the other children. But you're here now and I will teach you how to control it, how about that, hmm?" he said gently. She nodded her head tentatively and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Papa," she said as her little arms wrapped around him.

"You're very welcome, little fox. Now because we both have magic inside us, we can do a special adoption here to make you my daughter. That means you'll look like me. Would you like that love?" he asked as he stood back up and lead her to the center of the room. He had made sure to remove everything in case there was a magical backlash. He didn't want it falling and potentially hurting Alya, or himself for that matter.

"Uh-huh. Then people will know you're my Papa," she said in a very serious tone. "What do we have to do?" she asked as she looked around the room.

"You have to stand very still, okay love? I'm going to use this," he said as he took out his wand, "and do a spell that will tie us together. I'll have to cut my hand and prick your hand with it, okay? But don't be scared, it wont hurt. I promise," he said reassuringly when it became obvious she wasn't thrilled at the prospect.

"I don't like shots. It won't be like a shot will it?" she asked inching slightly away from him. It took him awhile to remember what a shot was. Lily had explained muggle medicine to him once but that had been in their second year at Hogwarts.

"No, no. No shots. Just a little prick here," he said and picked up her right hand and pointed to the meaty part below her thumb. It was the place most likely to provide enough blood without hurting her unnecessarily.

"Oh that's okay then. Can I have a sticker afterwards?" she asked seriously.

"I'll do you one better. We'll go downstairs and get Harry and have some ice cream, how about that?" he said smiling. She really was adorable.

"Before lunch?" she asked excitedly with wide eyes. "Ooooh ohhh okay. I want chocolate ice cream. With chocolate sprinkles. And chocolate drizzle!" she all but shouted, obviously deciding that a prick wasn't so bad if she could have ice cream.

Sirius chuckled. "Alright, but just today. We can't have ice cream before lunch everyday," he said. "Dessy would kill me," he muttered to himself.

He sat down on the floor then and pulled her down gently to sit across from him. He had already done the proper runes in the circle the night before, having figured the sooner he was able to complete the adoption the better. Once seated he took a deep breath and pulled out his wand. He cast a numbing charm on her hand before making a small cut down the base of her thumb. He cupped her hand in his own, letting the blood pool in her palm.

"You must keep your hand like this, Mia. Don't worry we're almost done," and with that he pulled his hand away and opened a cut across his left palm.

Once enough blood had gathered he made a fist and let the drops hit the floor. As the first drop splashed onto floorboard the circle became tangible, glowing a bright and deep purple.

" _Gratias sanguinem meum"_ he intoned, performing the complex wand movement. He then reached and tilted Alya's hand as well. When her blood mixed into the small puddle that had already gathered on the floor, the circle flared brighter and changed to gold.

" _Accipio sanguine suo"_ he said as he grabbed her little hand. He then drew a link around their arms, connecting them not unlike an _Unbreakable_. When the link was complete and flashed gold in tandem with the circle, he took his wand and spoke the final words that would make her his daughter: _'Pertinent es ad me'_

Alya gasped as the ribbon of light around their hands began to burn so bright it hurt her eyes. It dimmed then and crawled up her arm until it _sunk_ into her. She felt a shock go through her making her go rigid before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed backward. Sirius had expected something like this to happen and bent forward quickly to cradle her head as she fell. He knew she was fine, the spell was just taking effect and had knocked her momentarily unconscious.

As he gathered her once more in his arms and stood, making his way to the bottom floor, the magick of the ritual finally broke through the glamour Tilly had placed on her. Like ripples in a pond, the changes came over her slowly. Her hair elongated and deepened in color until her silky black curls were back in all their riotous glory, her skin shifted back to its olive tone, and her nose went back to its button shape. She looked just as she had this morning…that was until her eyes fluttered open.

Sirius saw that her eyes had shifted to accommodate the adoption. Where her eyes had been as dark as her hair before, they were now a dark and stunning metallic gray with black flecks. What really held his attention, however, were the gold bands around each of her pupils. They all but glowed in her face, giving him the unsettling feeling that she could see into his soul.

' _Shite but she'll make people sweat with that stare,"_ he thought to himself. It was unnerving that a four-year old had a stare so direct and penetrating. ' _I'll be known for having jeweled-eyed children,'_ the thought hit him as she seemed to wake up fully.

"Did it work Papa? Am I your daughter now?" she asked worriedly. He realized he was just standing in the middle the second floor landing so he moved across the hall to a mirror that hung there.

"It sure did Princess. Look in the mirror. You look just like me now!"

' _And like your mum,'_ he thought sadly. Though she would not know that for a long time.

"Wow! My hair is different," she said excitedly as she reached up to touch her curls. "And my eyes! Papa my eyes look scary," she whispered as she continued to stare at the mirror image of herself held in his arms.

"No love, they're not scary. Your magick is just shinning through your eyes, little one, that's all. They're beautiful and special, just like you, and there's nothing to be afraid of," he said reassuringly and kissed her head. He set her down then and took her little hand as they continued down to the ground floor.

"Now then! Let's go meet Harry and get that ice cream. How about that?"

"Oooh yes! Don't forget you promised I could have chocolate ice cream. With chocolate sprinkles. And chocolate drizzle!" she said as they made it downstairs. It was just after 11 so Harry would be outside with his toys while Lu watched over him.

"Perish the thought! I would never forget a promise, pup," he said with a laugh as he led her through the receiving room and into the family room. They walked through the patio door and saw that Harry was zooming around—slowly of course—with his toy broomstick. Lu watched him closely from the shade of the apple tree, ready to intervene if it looked like he was about to fall.

"Hello Lu," Sirius greeted the elf as they approached. Lu snapped his dark eyes up to Sirius and replied in his surprisingly deep voice—well, deep for an elf anyway.

"Good morning to you Master Black. Young Master Harry be asking for you. And the miss." He said the last part in a questioning tone, unsure as to whether he was allowed to ask who the little girl at his side was.

"This is Mia Alya Black, Lu. She's my newly adopted daughter and will one day be the Lady Black. Treat her as you would Harry," he told as Alya stepped out from behind his leg.

"Hello. I'm Mia. Can you do magick like Tilly?" she asked curiously. Lu raised his fingers but what he was about to do, Mia would never know because at that moment Harry caught sight of them.

"Papa!" he yelled as he jumped off his broom and began to run over. When he was close enough he threw his arms around Sirius's legs before jumping back and staring at Mia intently.

"I'm Harry," he said with a smile. "I'm your new big brother. Papa said so, didn't you Papa?" he said looking at Sirius who was smiling.

"That I did. Harry this is Mia Alya Black. Your new sister," he said as he gestured to Alya. "And Mia, this is Harry James Potter. Your new brother."

Harry suddenly moved forward and looked at Mia's eyes. "Wow. Your eyes are really—"

"Harry—" Sirius said quickly, remembering the fear he had seen in Alya's eyes earlier.

"—cool," finished Harry with grin. He had hardly finished speaking before Mia bounced forward and threw her arms around Harry. Harry looked at Sirius, slightly panicking, before returning the girl's hug somewhat warily.

"I like your eyes too Harry. They're very pretty."

' _She'll be good for him,'_ thought Sirius as he watched Harry blush at the compliment.

"Harry," said Sirius once Mia let him go, "I promised Mia we could have some ice cream. Why don't we go down by the lake to eat it, hmm? You can show Mia the swing we made"

"Ice cream before lunch?" asked Harry with wide-eyed excitement.

' _Is there a rule about this that everyone seems to be aware of but me?'_ Sirius thought to himself in amusement.

"Yes but only today. We're celebrating Mia joining the family!" and with that he bent down to grab both children around the waist before throwing each of them over a shoulder and marching across the grounds towards the lake.

"Lu," he called over his shoulder, "can you have Tilly bring us one chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate drizzle to the lake and—"

"Can I have one of those too Papa?" interrupted Harry excitedly. That sounded like a lot of chocolate.

"Make that two of those Lu. And have her bring me a mint-chocolate chip for me please."

"Of course Master Black," he said before disappearing with hardly a sound.

The children squeal in delight as he continued to walk, occasionally calling out a "Papa put us down!", before dissolving into a fit of giggles once more. Sirius soon discovered that carrying around two squirming four-year-olds was harder than it looked and was quite tired of little feet hitting his stomach by the time they finally reached the lake. He put them down on the ground before quickly changing to Padfoot to play with his pups. He had forgotten, of course, that Mia hadn't seen his Animagus form.

"Papa?" she asked wide eyed as she saw her father disappear into a big black dog. "Harry what happened to Papa?" She asked as she inched closer to him.

" 'S alright Mia," said Harry and gave her a hug. "Papa can turn into Padsfoot because he's an Ani-Ani-Animus. Right Papa?" Harry turned to look at Padfoot.

Sirius shifted back and was about to reassure the little witch that he was fine when Mia started clapping her hands excitedly. "Again Papa! Turn into Padsfoot again!" And who was he to deny the new lady of the house?

Once he had shifted, he gave chase and the children immediately took off running. Their laughter ringing out as Harry tried to get Mia, who eventually ran to hide behind Padfoot in a bid to escape her brother. As she got close, Padfoot could see she her cheeks were pink from exertion and her eyes bright with happiness. He gave a sudden lunge forward and licked her face, causing her to squeal and giggle and run back out to Harry. Both children soon forgot about him, however, when they heard Tilly appear, levitating three ice cream cones in front of her. Forgotten, Padfoot walked over to an alder tree on the edge of the lake before shifting back to sit under its shade. He watched as Mia and Harry hurried over to Tilly and were about to run her down when the little elf snapped her fingers to freeze them on the spot.

"Young Master and Miss must wait until Tilly give it to you," she scolded them lightly as she levitated Sirius's ice cream to him.

Sirius was still laughing when he felt someone plop down beside him. He looked over and saw that Remus was finally back from the trip his boss had sent him on (he worked for a wealthy businessman, analyzing dark objects he had in his Gringotts volt). He had been gone a week to see some chap who was hosting a convention on defense against dark creatures in Bulgaria. Or was it Romania? Sirius wasn't listening too carefully when he told him, truth be told. He'd just bought him the ticket after Remus wouldn't shut up about it.

"I see you survived Bulgaria," Sirius said cheerfully as he ate his treat.

"It was in Greece," Remus said wryly. "Thanks for sending me again."

"That's what I said. Merlin Moony, weren't you listening? I thought you werewolves were supposed to have heightened hearing," Sirius said with a sniff, making Remus laugh. "I trust your visit was educational?" he finally asked as he watched Harry lick some ice cream off his hand.

"Very. Had a whole day dedicated to hydras," Remus said excitedly.

"Well how _did_ you survive such a stimulating topic?" quipped Sirius sarcastically.

"Shut it. Who's the girl?" he asked as he leaned back against the tree to watch the children who were happily eating their treats as they watched the ducks out on the lake.

' _Oh Harry's gone and gotten it in his hair. How does he always manage to do that? It's not even that long!'_ thought Sirius in dismay as he looked over to them.

"That, my dear Moony, is my daughter," he said proudly and offered his ice cream to him. That certainly startled the werewolf. When he made no move to grab the cone, Sirius shrugged and continued to eat it.

"…come again? It sounded like you said 'daughter' for a second," Remus said in a weird voice. _'Oh I think he's in shock. He'll be pacing soon.'_

Sure enough when Sirius didn't correct himself, Remus stood up and began to pace in front of the tree. "Pads, I was gone a week. A week! She has to be what? Four? Five? Did you find an illegitimate daughter from your glory days or something? What the hell Sirius?" his tone had gone from surprise to exasperation rather quickly.

"Four, 'bout to turn five. And as if I would have been careless enough to get a bird up the duff," Sirius replied indignantly after finishing his ice cream. He knew his spells, thank you very much. "I adopted her, you git. Did the blood adoption this morning. That beauty you keep staring at in disbelief, and I'll thank you to stop that by the way, is Mia Alya Black. My daughter, and the future Lady Black" Sirius told him proudly as he stood up.

It took a minute before Remus was finally able to regain the power of speech. "And where did the newly minted Lady Black come from? You didn't get her from an orphanage. Even _you_ can't expedite that process to a week and I'd have known if you had been visiting orphanages for the past 3 months." Remus turned to stare hard at his friend, slightly afraid that he'd just taken the girl in his impatience.

Sirius had been debating what he would tell Remus since Raven had sat down in front of him two days ago. He had finally decided he would come clean and had asked Raven's permission to tell him that night in the bar before he left. The last time he withheld information from his friend, Sirius had gone and gotten James and Lily killed. _'Best not tell him here though. Don't need him loosing it in front of the pups,_ ' he thought as he looked over at the children, who now had chocolate-covered faces and were once again chasing each other.

"It's a long story mate. And I might need some Firewhiskey to get through it. Hell, _you'll_ need some Firewhiskey to get through it. Let's go inside to the library. It's best if the children don't hear this. Lu!"

The little elf appeared soundlessly. Sirius suspected the loudness of their arrival depended on their emotional state. Lu was the calmest and most collected of his elves and he hardly ever made a sound.

"Master Black?" he said in his odd voice.

"Lu, keep an eye on the children. Make sure they get washed up before lunch and let us know when it's time to eat. We'll be in the library."

"Of course, Master Black"

Having made sure the children would be taken care of, they made their way back to the Manor and let themselves into the library. The library was Sirius's prized possession. While everyone knew Remus as a scholar, few knew that Sirius was a bibliophile or that he had had top marks in school as well; people just remembered him as a prankster. The thing was, you had to be smart to be able to create and get away with the stunts they pulled in school. Not to mention creating that bloody map. The complexity of creating _that_ had given them all plenty of headaches.

The room was filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which were all filled with texts ranging from Divination to Potions. He even had one entirely dedicated to Muggle literature, which Lily introduce him to. There was a desk at the back of the room where he handled all his business and large windows along the left wall that opened to look over the woods that surrounded the house. He led Remus to the Firewhiskey he kept up on the top shelf near the fireplace and poured them both a glass before moving to sit in the black leather armchairs.

It took him nearly an hour to get through the whole story and when he was done Remus was stunned into silence.

"Let me get this straight," he said after a few minutes of processing what Sirius had said. "Your cousin Cassie, the same Cassie that's been _dead_ since we were _sixteen_ , sent you a note asking you for help. Because she's not really dead but had _faked_ her death and has been living as a muggle for the past fifteen years. She had a daughter who has born with a hundred-year old _prophetic mark_ described in the Black grimoire and had begun to display elemental magick, so she asked you to take her and hide her before the Ministry or Death Eaters realized who she was. She thinks the Dark Lord isn't actually dead—still processing how that could be, by the way—and her child is a supposed to defeat him when he comes back. You performed questionable magick to erase all memory of her and then did a blood adoption to explain her obvious Black features. The girl has no memory of her life because Tilly put a memory block, making her believe she had been living in an orphanage until now. Did I get that all right?" he asked. His voice had grown slightly hysterical by the end.

Sirius considered it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, sounds about right. You forgot the part where I promised to turn her into a certifiable Warrior Queen, but besides that you got everything."

Remus gave a strangled laugh and slumped back into the armchair. "And this all happened in two days?" At Sirius's nod, he shook his head and sighed. "I just can't leave you alone, can I?" he asked with a strained laugh before falling silent.

"How was she?" he asked after a while.

"As good as could be under the circumstances. Looked different. Took me a moment to realize who she was with that permanent glamour she gave herself. Her hair's blond now and she has hazel eyes. She still has the scar on her jaw near her ear though—the one from when Prongs clipped her with his antlers after we got him drunk on his sixteenth and he shifted in the Room of Requirement," he said laughing at the memory.

"Why didn't she say anything?" Remus asked him sadly.

"I reckon she thought the less people knew, the less likely she was to be found. People saw us grieve her Moony. It's what kept her safe," he said after a moment.

"What's this prophecy then?" he asked tiredly. Sirius got up and walked to the wall behind his desk where the painting of the Oracle of Delphi hung.

"Password?" she asked as she sat in the middle of a cave, surrounded by her attendants.

"Pytho," replied Sirius. Nodding her acceptance, the painting swung forward to expose a safe. Sirius placed his wand tip and his hand on it before it swung open as well, revealing a thick black leather-bound book that looked as though it should be in a museum.

"This," said Sirius as he walked back to the armchair and carefully dusted off the book, "is the Black grimoire. Pretty dark stuff in this thing—it's why I keep it locked up. Can't bring myself to chuck it though, too much of the House's history is in here," he stated as he began to carefully leaf through it.

"I can _feel_ the magic from here," Remus said awed.

"Hmmm? Oh yeah. Here it is:

' _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born in the seventh month to she who thrice defied him…she will have power the Dark Lord knows not…Birthed from her dark house and branded by moon and star… she will be forged and sharpened in darkness …And she will come forth with a soul of fire, strength of the earth, and the ferocity of a storm …The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…'_

Remus sat back stunned. "Well 'birthed to her dark house' obviously refers to her being a Black. 'Forged and sharpened in darkness'…that has to be your promise to train her in secret. The other bit obviously refers to her elemental magick. What I don't understand is how Cassie fits into this. How did she 'thrice defy him'?" he asked as he looked down at the book.

Sirius gave a long sigh before taking a drink of his Firewhiskey. "Well. The first time, I think, was when she was being recruited. Mind you, this was still in the earlier day so it was all more subtle. She'd just turned fifteen that summer and her father paraded her around at his parties, often putting up demonstrations of how powerful she was. Eventually she caught You-Know-Who's attention and he tried to draw her in. You know Cassie though, she wouldn't bow to anyone, especially someone like him. Her father stood high in his ranks and Cygnus loved his daughters, so the Dark Lord didn't force the issue. We thought that was the last of it but we were all ordered home for Easter holidays that term—Reggie, me, and Druella's four girls. We were to go to Grimmauld Place but when we walked in we only saw Death Eaters." Sirius suddenly rubbed his face and finished his drink in one gulp.

He stared into the fireplace, watching his fire salamander move in the flames as he continued. "We were taken to the parlour and as soon as we walked through the door some Death Eaters grabbed us by the robes and threw us to the floor at _his_ feet. He told us Walburga had offered up Reggie and me to him. I had just turned sixteen, but Reggie was only thirteen! When they tried to mark us, Cassie lost it; her magic just exploded out of her and threw the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who against the walls, knocking them out. She was exhausted after that but she still bested Bella, the crazy bitch. By then though, the Dark Lord had come to and he was livid. Disarmed her and Bella and was about to start in on me when Cassie jumped in and offered herself up instead. She didn't even hesitate. And _that_ made the bastard stop; he had never stopped trying to win her over. Turned out Uncle Cygnus had been one of the Death Eaters she knocked out and he stepped up to offer her hand to him. Bella was rabid, of course, but it was done: they were to be wed a week before her sixteenth birthday. She did it for _us_ Moony. Offered herself up like that to keep us out of it! And what did Reggie do? Went and threw it in her face and fucking joined a couple of years later anyway!" he said angrily and threw his glass at the wall. Remus kept silent throughout the whole thing. He suspected Sirius had been wanting to get this off his chest for some time. Eventually Sirius gave a sigh and repaired the glass before going on.

"She got us out of there as soon as it was over—convinced her father to let one of the elves take us back. Cissa and Andy were hysterical, Bella was rabid with rage, and Reggie was just in shock. Bella ended up staying behind but we were allowed to leave. Soon as we touched down in Hogsmead I tried to talk her out of it, you know? But she wouldn't hear it. She went to whisper something to Andy for a second and then she grabbed me and took us to the Potters. Told them Walburga was trying to sell me off to the Dark Lord and I needed protection. That's when I got my dear mother's howler saying that I was no son of hers. The old cow couldn't have decided that a few hours earlier? 'Course Dorea and Charlus were horrified and told me I'd live with them; I practically lived with the Potters during summer holidays anyways. So Cassie left me there and went back to school. Didn't see or hear from her afterwards. By then school started up after the holls, she was distant, you remember? I thought it was because she was angry with me, that she regretted offering herself up, you know? So I didn't say anything, kept you all from talking to her—didn't even try during the summer." Remus could see the regret on his face, as though he wished he could go back and stop her from doing what came next.

"Now, looking back, she had probably already started planning her grand demise and had distanced herself so they wouldn't come after me again. She had been seeing this Muggle from a town nearby that was a few years older than her for some time before then, Daniel his name was. She was completely smitten but kept it hidden from her folks. Only Andy and me knew about him—he ended up introducing Andy to Ted, actually. Anyway, somehow she got someone to help her, in her words, "liberate a body from the town morgue" and used a variant polyjuice potion to change it into her. Ran away a week before summer ended. Everyone thought someone had broken into the grounds and killed her, they found Aunt Druella out cold by the wall and she couldn't remember anything. Now I know it was Raven though. She snapped her wand, bound her magick with one off the blackmarket, and ran away with her fellow and never looked back. Until Mia was born," he finished with a sigh.

"Shite Pads," Remus said stunned. "She's got a fucking pair on her. I don't think I would ever be able to go toe-to-toe with You-Know-Who once, let alone three times. When I was a _teenager._ "

Sirius snorted. "She's never been a shy one, that's for sure. It's why it scared the shite out of me when I went to see her and she was so afraid. Never seen her lose it like that," he said quietly. "I owe her a life debt, you know. He was about to _Avada_ me when she stepped in. She saved me, the least I could do was protect her child," he said as he sat back.

"Merlin, what a mess," Remus said, rubbing his face. "How are we going to handle a girl? I was worried enough about Harry becoming a teen, what are we going to do with a teenaged girl as well?" he asked with a groan.

"Look on the bright side Moony. You have another godchild. _And_ now we have another protégé to take under our wing when they reach Hogwarts. We'll be sending Minnie _two_ new Marauders instead of just one" he said, trying to lift the dark mood in the room. He could just imagine Minerva's face when she called out their names for the sorting.

Just then Harry and Mia came running inside. "Papa, Lu says it's time for lunch. Uncle Remus, you're back!" Harry all but yelled as he launched himself at the werewolf.

Mia approached slowly, unsure of who the strange man was, and hid slightly behind her father. The man Harry had called 'Uncle Remus', was tall-taller than her father. He had strange eyes that had changed from hazel to amber when he saw Harry, dirty blond hair, a strong jaw, and laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. What made her wary though, was the scattering of scars she could see peppered across his face and his muscular arms.

Sirius grabbed Mia's hand and pulled her forward. "Mia this is your Uncle Remus. He lives here with us in the manor but has been away on a trip for a little while."

Remus finally managed to disentangle himself from Harry and looked up at the little girl that his friend had brought into the family. He saw the olive complexion, the delicate features, and the wild black silky curls and knew no one in their world would ever take her as anything other than a Black. That's when he noticed her eyes. He had never seen eyes that shade of gray, not even among the Blacks. The gold around the pupils made them all but _glow_ as she stared at him. She was a stunning child but he couldn't help but think that her gaze was too direct for a four-year old.

"Hello Mia. Welcome to the family, little one," he told her with a smile as he placed his hand in front of her. The little girl surprised him, however. Instead of taking his hand like he expected, she launched herself at him much like she had seen Harry do moments ago. She wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning back and giving him a sweet smile. And just like that, Mia Alya Black had Remus Lupin wrapped around her little finger.

Remus had felt Moony come forward when the little girl hugged him. _'Pack,'_ he growled inside of Remus, adding her scent and signature to the list of those Moony thought of as his.

Sirius watched as Remus's eyes flashed amber as he held his daughter and smiled; Moony had just claimed another pup. He pitied the wizard who came sniffing after his daughter one day.

_'Perhaps things will turn out okay"_ he thought, feeling hopeful for the first time since receiving Raven's note. _'She'll be safe here.'_

* * *

**5 May, 1985**

**2:31 a.m.**

' _Harry'_ thought Sirius as a scream broke the silence of the house. He bolted out of his bed and was running before he was able to gather his bearings. It was the full moon and Remus was out so Sirius was already on edge not being able to be with his friend.

He thought having Mia in the house had finally gotten rid of the nightmares. Harry seemed happier to have a playmate, showing Mia all his hiding spots and teaching her how to get sweets from the kitchen elf, Nan. They had played from sunrise to sunset and had fallen into bed exhausted every night since her arrival.

Sirius had returned to the Auror Department following Mia's adoption but ultimately handed in his resignation when a stray hex landed him to St. Mungos his first day back. He couldn't risk something happening to him; it would leave Harry and Mia alone and vulnerable. He had only joined the force because of Prongs, to begin with. Then he had only stayed after James's death to round up the Death Eaters after Voldemort's fall. It wasn't like he even needed the money.

While his mother had blasted him off the family tapestry in his fifth year he had never been officially disowned. He had not planned on touching the Black money, however, since he knew that Regulus was their chosen heir. His Uncle Alphard had left him enough money to live out his life comfortably, so his finances had never been a concern. But then things changed with the war. His family died in the war, along with James and Lily, he was left the sole Black heir, and suddenly he had Harry to worry about. And now there was Mia. So he left the Aurors to raise his children in the ancestral Black Manor. After chucking out every dark object and paying curse-breakers a small fortune to do a full sweep of the place, of course.

By the time that Sirius had made it into Harry's room, he had quieted down. _'That's a first,'_ he thought blearily, still mostly half-asleep. When he turned on the light he saw what had calmed Harry down so quickly. Mia had apparently come in through the door that connected her room to Harry's room, had promptly climbed up into the Queen-sized bed and had her little arms wrapped tightly around her brother, comforting him. Harry had his face buried in her crazy curls as he continued to sniffle, hugging her back tightly.

"It's okay Harry. Dreams can't hurt you. I'll stay with you to keep the bad dreams away" Mia whispered to him. Harry nodded his head and whispered "thank you, Mia" as his breathing calmed down.

"Alright there pup?" asked Sirius unnecessarily. It was obvious that the little witch had everything under control.

"Yes Papa," said Harry, one eye peeking out from Mia's dark curls. "Papa, can Mia stay with me?" he asked pleadingly.

"Of course. Goodnight," he said as he turned off the lights and made to close the door.

"Goodnight Papa," they replied together as they continued to hold each other.

Sirius went back to his room, fixing the bedspread he had kicked onto the floor in his rush to get to Harry.

' _She'll definitely be good for him,'_ was Sirius's last thought before he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

**21 November, 1985**

**4:06 a.m.**

Mia woke up when she heard whimpers coming from the room next to hers.

_'Oh no, Harry's having another bad dream'_ she thought as she scrambled out of her big bed and across her room. Papa had given her a room that connected to Harry's through a door and she loved it. The ceiling was charmed to show the stars at night and a sunny sky during the day. Her walls were dark blue and she had a whole wall across her bed painted black so she could color on it without getting in trouble. Oh! And she had a small room filled with pretty dresses and ribbons for her hair, trousers, jumpers, and shoes. And her Papa was always brining home more ribbons for Tilly to use in her hair. She had a whole table full of them!

As she made it into Harry's room she climbed up his big bed and hugged him tight. Harry always stopped making noises when she hugged him. She thought it was because he knew she was there to help keep the bad dreams away. He hadn't woken up Papa with his nightmares anymore because Mia could hear when he was having one. She would just climb up with him and he would calm down and keep sleeping. Like how he was right now.

Mia snuggled into his sides and pulled the blanket under her chin. She knew she wouldn't go back to her bed tonight because Harry needed her to stay with him.

She saw Harry's green eyes open a bit and when he saw her he smiled. "Thanks Mia," he said before he fell back asleep. It had become their routine by now and Harry had gotten used to waking up and seeing her asleep beside him. It comforted him to know she would be there to help him fight back against the cold laugh that gave him nightmares.

"You're welcome Harry," whispered Mia before falling asleep again.

When Sirius walked in that morning he wasn't surprised to see Mia in Harry's room. The little witch seemed to sense when he was having nightmares and had apparently decided it was her job to keep them at bay; he had found her in here at least once a week since Harry woke him screaming. He smiled at the sight of Mia's black curls tangled into a nest around her face, her mouth slightly open as she breathed. Harry had burrowed into her curls and had his left arm thrown around Mia as he slept with his mouth wide open, a small river of drool collecting underneath his head. Laughing quietly, Sirius went back to his room for his camera and hurried back down the hall to snap a shot of the two black-haired children.

' _This will be great to embarrass him with when he's older,'_ he thought gleefully. He might be a father of two at 30, but he would always be a Marauder.

* * *

**1 July, 1986**

They were celebrating Mia's and Harry's 6th birthday today, even though Mia's wasn't for another two weeks. Their father had decided to host a late lunch before the party and had invited the Weasleys, Longbottoms, Malfoys (sans Lucius), and Zabinis over and they were due to arrive in less than an hour. Mia loved playing with the twins and Draco but the other Weasley children didn't play with her because they were older. And Blaise wasn't very nice to her; he was always pulling her hair and pushing her. At least Neville was nice. But he didn't really get to play because his Gran didn't let him.

The children had thus decided that if they had to wear their nice party clothes, they wanted to run outside first. Which is how they found themselves playing on the small Quidditch pitch.

"You can't catch me Jamie!" yelled Mia as she ducked behind the broomshed. She was the only one Harry allowed to call him that, which frustrated Sirius to no end. Whenever _he_ tried calling him that, Harry threw a tantrum and would refuse to speak to him for the rest of the day.

"I will too!" Harry called back to her. He suddenly leapt forward and knocked her to the ground as they both started to laugh. They had rolled into the open shed, knocking down brooms as they came to a stop against the wall.

"Uh-oh. Papa won't be happy that we were in here," she said when she realized what they'd done. Harry suddenly jumped up, grabbed one of the fallen brooms, and ran outside.

"Jamie what are you doing? You know we're not allowed to touch the big brooms" Mia told her brother worriedly.

"Don't worry Mia. I'm just going to fly slowly. It's just like mine see?" he reassured her. Mia, however, wasn't convinced.

"You're going to hurt yourself before the party and Papa will be cross," she said trying to take back the broom.

"No I won't. You'll see." And with that he threw a leg over the broom and began to rise in the air. And rise. And rise.

"Jamie come down before Papa sees you!" Mia was really worried now. They were supposed to be getting ready. If Tilly found them out here. Well. They needed to go inside _now._ "JAMIE COME DOWN."

But Harry couldn't make the broom go back down. He was already starting to panic when he heard his father.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" bellowed Sirius from halfway down the pitch as he started running towards him. He had come looking for the kids when it became apparent they were not in their rooms like they were supposed to be. In his hurry he had left his wand behind and he felt his stomach drop as Harry startled and lost his grip on the broom.

"Jamie!", "Harry!" they yelled as he fell over 4 meters to the ground.

Harry had landed on his arm and they could hear the _snap_ as it broke. He began to sob as pain wracked his body and Mia ran over to her brother before kneeling down besides him. She felt very afraid when she saw his arm was bleeding and bending the wrong way and in her panic she grabbed his arm just as Sirius reached them.

"Mia don't—' he began but fell silent at the sight before him.

Mia had closed her eyes and scrunched her nose up in concentration as soon as she placed her hand on Harry's arm. As he watched, a gold light seemed to form under her hand and the tissue on Harry's arm began to knit itself back together, the bone snapping back into place.

Harry had felt it when his arm broke and it _hurt._ Then he heard Mia come closer and he knew she would say _'I told you so_ ' later. His eyes snapped open, however, when he felt his arm and chest warm up and the pain suddenly disappear. He saw Mia leaning over him, tears streaming down her face as she checked to see if he was okay. Her eyes were wide and she looked very pale. He smiled at her to let her and was about to tell her he was fine when she suddenly collapsed.

"Mia!" yelled Harry as he sat up and crawled over to her.

Sirius had been standing back, staring in shock as his 6-year-old daughter performed magick that some she shouldn't be able to perform for another decade at least. Seeing her collapse, however, snapped him back into action.

"Tilly! Lu!" he yelled as he ran towards her.

_Crack._ "What does Master nee-, Young Miss!" cried Tilly distressed as she saw Mia unconscious on the ground. Lu stood by, hands raised and ready to deal with any threats.

"Tilly I need you to take us to her room. Lu, take Harry to Dessy. Have her check him over. Then I need you to get Remus, he's at the bakery in the alley getting the cake. Tell him it's an emergency and bring him to her room," he ordered in a rush as he scooped Mia into his arms. Remus had plenty of experience with healing charms since he had to deal with injuries after every full moon.

"Right away Master," he replied before grabbing hold of Harry and disappearing with a loud _crack._

' _He must be just as shook up as me, if he couldn't manage a silent disappearance,'_ Sirius thought before he turned to Tilly. Tilly wrapped her arm around his wrist and when Sirius opened his eyes, he saw the familiar blue of Mia's room. He hurried to her bed before laying her down.

"Oh love, what did you go and do to yourself?" he whispered raggedly as he smoothed down her curls.

There was a loud _crack_ and "Now see here Lu, I need to get that cake for the party. Whatever it is, it can wa—" but he fell silent when he saw Mia. She was deathly pale and appeared to be having trouble breathing.

"What happened?" he growled as his eyes flared bright amber.

"Harry decided to take one of the brooms for a ride. He fell off 10 feet in the air and got hurt. Mia panicked and just _healed him._ Moony he snapped his arm in two and probably had some broken ribs and now he's _fine._ She collapsed right after but I don't know what's wrong." Sirius was almost hysterical at this point and Remus mouth had dropped open with his explanation.

"Padfoot calm down! I'll run some diagnostics. She's going to be fine," he said resolutely. He didn't waste any time taking out his wand and began to cast spell after spell. When he was done there was a map of her body above her and her vitals flashed in tandem with the orange glow of the map. Once Remus got a look at those, his shoulders relaxed and he let out a relieved breath.

"She's fine Sirius. She's just suffering from magical depletion. She's too young to control her magick and it looks like she used up most of it to heal Harry. That she even had enough magical energy to do so is amazing—most children don't have enough to heal a papercut. She's going to be a very powerful witch"

Sirius sat down on the edge of the bed and took hold of her little hand. He felt like he had aged five years since he saw Harry fall and Mia collapse. _'These children will be the death of me,'_ he thought seriously.

He was just about to ask if there was anything they could do to help when her door opened and a headful of messy black hair poked through.

"Papa is Mia okay?" he asked in a very small voice.

Sirius opened his arms in invitation and Harry hurried over to him. Sirius pulled him close and kissed his head, thankful that he was okay. He couldn't speak just then so it was Remus who answered him. "She's going to be fine Harry. She just needs to sleep. She tired herself out healing you."

Harry's face filled with guilt at this. "It's my fault. She told me not to do it but I didn't listen and it's my fault she got hurt trying to help me," he said looked at her pale face and began to cry.

"Pup, it's not your fault. You should listen to your sister though. You know she's usually right," he said, trying to lighten the mood. Harry gave a watery laugh before burying his head in Sirius's neck.

' _There goes another shirt,'_ Sirius told himself resignedly.

"Moony, can you go floo the families and tell them we have to reschedule? Tell them Mia got hurt and we'll have the party on her birthday." Remus nodded and quickly left the room.

"Harry I need you to promise you won't tell anyone what Mia did, okay pup? There are people who would try to hurt her if they knew how powerful she was," he told the little boy seriously.

Harry had lifted his head off of Sirius's shoulder when he began to speak and his eyes widened before he gave a ferocious scowl. "I won't tell Papa. And I won't let anyone hurt my Mia. I'll protect her, just like you told me," he said looking determined.

Harry look over at Mia before crawling out of Sirius's hold and cuddling close to his sister. "I'm sorry Mia. I'll protect you," he whispered before burrowing into her curls and throwing his arm around her. He was fast asleep in minutes.

Sirius watched his children in silence and blinked. Then did a double take to make sure he wasn't seeing things. They had started to _glow._ He ran out of the door and yelled for Moony when he reached the stairs. Remus came running, soot covering his knees since he hadn't had a chance to dust them off yet. "What is it? What's wrong?" he said as he ran up the stairs to join him.

Sirius just grabbed a hold of his shoulder before dragging back into the room. When Remus saw the pair glowing on the bed, he jerked to a stop. "That's-that's not possible," he said shocked. "Padfoot are you seeing what I'm seeing? They're six! This shouldn't be possible!" he said, voice raising an octave in disbelief.

Sirius was just as stunned. His six-year-old children were sharing their magick. Harry was using his core to replenish what Mia had lost. Sirius had only heard of this happening. For it to work, the pair's magic had to be compatible to an extreme degree and they had to trust each other implicitly. _'So not only can my daughter heal injuries that people thrice her age are only beginning to learn, my children can also share their magick with each other. What's next? Telepathy?'_ he thought incredulously.

"You'll have to train her sooner than expected," said Remus suddenly, shaking Sirius from his thoughts. "If she's manifested elementals, healing magick, _and_ she can borrow from Harry she's going to demonstrating strong accidental magic. With the amount of power she'll no doubt have, you could probably start her on wandless magic. Children are more likely to understand the mechanics of it since they haven't been trained to suppress it and channel it with a wand yet. And no doubt Harry will experience an increase in power with their link." Remus said, rubbing his face.

"We'll start a year before they leave for Hogwarts. Let them be children for now. I have a feeling they won't be able to enjoy a normal childhood once we start." With that Sirius stood and led Moony out of the room. He had a party to plan. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to think that with Harry in his life and not going to Azkaban, Sirius would not have been so emotionally stunted and would have been a great parental figure.


	6. How to Train Your Children

**20 July, 1990**

"Mia? Harry? I need to speak with you.." they heard their father call up the stairs.

"Hurry Mia, before dad sees," Harry whispered urgently to his sister.

"I'm trying! It's not like I _meant_ to do it," she hissed at him, scrunching up her nose in concentration.

"Well try faster! I can hear him coming up the steps," he said anxiously from his spot on the floor, tugging on her arm _._ He didn't think his dad would be thrilled to see Mia _floating._

"Jamie that isn't helping!" she said as her brow puckered trying to visualize herself back on the ground. She didn't know _how_ she had done it. One minute Jamie had been making her laugh and then she was hovering four feet in the air. She was becoming more afraid by the minute that her father would see what'd she'd done. She knew it upset him whenever things like this happened. Finally, when she thought she might just cry from frustration, Harry gave a strong yank on her arm….making her land right on top of him and knocking the air out of them both.

"Oooof" groaned Harry as her elbow hit his stomach. Poor Harry had taken the brunt of the fall but Mia had managed to bang her shin on the edge of the dresser on her way down.

"Ow ow ow ow, that's going to leave a big bruise," she moaned in pain, rubbing it.

"Mia? Harry? What are you two doing on the floor? What's wrong with your leg love?" asked Sirius as he finally made it into the bedroom.

"Oh, ah, nothing Papa. I just hit it when I fell off my bed trying to get away from Harry tickling me," she said quickly.

"Uh-huh. And why is Harry on the floor?" he asked suspiciously. Four years of misadventures and broken family heirlooms had taught him how dangerous these two were together.

"She took me down with her," replied Harry from the floor, still trying to get his breath back. He finally rolled over and stood up to face his father.

Sirius stared at his children's innocent looks, not buying their act for a second. _'Do I actually want to know though?'_ he asked himself before deciding that no, he really didn't.

They had grown so much in the past four years. Mia's curls almost reached her hips now and were just as wild as they had been the first day he saw her. He had thought the added length would have tamed them somewhat but he'd been wrong. They only thing that had not changed were her eyes; they were just as stunning as they were after the ritual. They were framed by thick long black lashes and they seemed to always sparkle with mischief. She was slightly taller than Harry but he doubted it would stay that way for long.

Harry looked much the same as he did at the age of four. The only difference, really, being the glasses he now wore after the last check-up at St. Mungos made them realize he had terrible vision—it's a wonder he could see anything before them, really. Unfortunately, they could do nothing to improve his hair; if anything, it seemed to have grown even messier. Sirius had tried having it cut and styled but it didn't last long. Much like his James's hair, it just wouldn't stay flat. He suspected Harry liked it long because it kept his scar covered. Of course, it didn't help matters that Mia loved to run her fingers through his hair whenever they were sitting together. After Harry got up, it looked as though he had been shocked—hair sticking out in every direction. It drove Sirius _mad._

He stared at his children a moment longer, making them squirm before finally speaking. "Come down to the library, Uncle Remus and I need to speak with you about something," he said, motioning to the door.

"Dad it wasn't us, we swear! Draco was the one that said nothing would happen if we gave the fire salamander a few exploding bonbons!" Harry said, immediately on the defensive.

"JAMIE!" yelled Mia horrified.

"Is that why the drapes caught on fire last week while Cissy and I had tea?" asked Sirius in a very calm voice. By the time the fire had been noticed by Tilly he had lost a dozen of his favorite books. He thought for sure he had forgotten to close the grate before Narcissa and Draco arrived and the little bugger had gotten out.

"Uhhhhh," said Harry before grabbing his sister's hand and running out of the room.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, MIA ALYA BLACK, GET BACK HERE" he bellowed as he gave chase. It only made them run harder.

"You had to open your mouth, Jamie. Draco won't be pleased," panted Mia as they ran down the stairs.

"UNCLE MOONY DAD'S TRYING TO KILL US," yelled Mia as soon as they entered the library. She immediately went to hide behind Remus, pulling Harry with her. She knew Uncle Moony wouldn't let their father near them until he had calmed down.

Remus sighed. "What did you do now?"

"Jamie told him about the fire salamander. Now dad's going to tell Aunt Cissy and Draco won't be able to come play for _weeks,"_ she pouted.

"What happened with the fire—you know what? I don't want to know."

' _Is this how McGonagall felt with us in school? No wonder she looked like she wanted to throttle us half the time,'_ he thought to himself.

Just then Sirius came into the library and immediately zeroed in on the children behind Remus. Even though, logically, Remus knew Sirius would never hurt the children, he felt Moony surface at Sirius's angry expression. His eyes flared amber and he growled quietly, taking on a defensive position in front of his pups. Sirius, however, heard and turned disbelieving eyes on him.

"Oh _you have to be joking._ They gave the fire salamander exploding bonbons! I lost a _first-edition Victor Hugo_ to that fire!" but Moony's defensive posture didn't change. "That's not fair Moony! You know I would never hurt them. Just want to pull their ears a bit." When Moony's growl only grew louder at this, Sirius's threw up his arms.

"Fine. Fine! But you're getting me a new edition," he said as he threw himself onto the couch with a pout and crossed his arms.

Once they were sure their father wouldn't try to strangle them, Harry and Mia slowly inched forward from behind their uncle. Harry pushed her in their father's direction and gave her a meaningful look. Mia scowled but complied nonetheless.

"Papa?" she asked in a small voice. "We're really sorry. We didn't mean to burn the books. We just got scared and we didn't want Draco to get in trouble with his father," she said as she got closer but Sirius continued to scowl.

"Will you forgive us?" she asked with watery eyes as she threw her arms around him.

' _Lucius_ _is_ _rather harsh with that boy. And being told he had caused a small fire in Lord Black's home would not have bode well for him,'_ Sirius thought to himself.

"Of course I do, Princess" he said gruffly. "But you must tell me when things like that happen. Or at least call for one of the elves. You could have gotten hurt."

Remus had to fight back a laugh when he saw how quickly Sirius gave in to Mia. _'Oh there's no doubt about what house she's going to end up in,'_ Remus thought delightedly as he watched the entire thing. Mia could play Sirius like a violin, knowing exactly how to soften his sour moods. Him, too for that matter—she knew to call for Moony and use him as a shield when her and her brother got into trouble.

"Well, now that disaster has been avoided, I believe Sirius wanted to have a talk about something," he said as he smirked at his friend.

Sirius cleared his throat as Mia went to go sit next to her brother. "Right then. Well," he began before clearing his throat again. He wasn't quite sure how to begin. _'Probably should have thought about that before calling this little family gathering.'_

Remus took pity on his friend and stepped in. "You remember that your father was an Auror for almost ten years? And that I have studied dark artifacts and defense against the dark arts for nearly as long?" he asked the children. They looked confused but nodded their heads waiting for him to continue.

"Well your father—and I as well for that matter—have…come across some bad people in our lives. People who like to…hurt those they see as…weaker than them. Or those they believe they could…use for their power," Remus told them delicately. He didn't want to go and frighten the pups, did he?

"Yes, dad told us about that before. But what does that have to do with us?" asked Harry as Mia scooted closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder. He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze as he waited for his uncle's answer.

But it was his father who finally said, "Mia, sweetheart. Do you remember what happened after Harry fell off his broom?". She nodded hesitantly. They didn't speak about that day often.

"Love, what happened that day was not normal for a child your age—not even for instances of accidental magick. You made an effort to heal Harry; it was a willed command of your magick. That's almost unheard of in someone so young, more so when you add in the magnitude of the magick you performed. You're very powerful, Princess, and will only become stronger as you grow older. Harry as well. You must both learn how to control it before Hogwarts or others might notice," he told them solemnly. Harry scowled and hugged his sister closer as he continued to speak. "You both represent some of the oldest and wealthiest Houses in Magical Britain. Unfortunately, that means you will be constantly watched when you go to school, and I want you able to take care for yourselves, and each other."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Mia asked carefully, thinking about this morning's floating incident. That would certainly not go unnoticed at Hogwarts.

"In addition to your normal school lessons you have before dinner, you will be trained. You will both learn Pureblood tradition and House history. You will also begin to learn how to harness your magick and use it wandlessly, as well as how to defend yourself physically." Now _that_ they were not expecting to hear. Everyone knew you weren't allowed to use magic outside of school until they were of age.

"But Papa. Won't we get in trouble with the Ministry for doing magic out of school?" Mia finally asked.

"Not necessarily, sweetheart," her uncle answer. "Now, what I am about to tell you, you must keep to yourselves, alright?" He waited until they nodded before he switched into lecture mode. "You see every wand sold within a wandshop—like Ollivander's—is registered with the Ministry and charmed with a Trace. When you choose your wand it binds itself to you. You both know this. It also, however, sends an alert to the Ministry with your magical signature and name. The Department of Improper Use of Magic is then responsible for tracking Traces until a child reaches their majority, at which point the Trace is…deactivated. They monitor Traces—not closely mind—but if they are alerted to abnormalities they take disciplinary actions: two warnings, followed by expulsion."

So far nothing he had said was even slightly comforting to Mia. "Won't that mean they'll be able to tell when _we_ do magic? I don't want to get expelled before I even make it to Hogwarts," she said annoyed. At her question, her uncle positively glowed with smugness.

"Not at all. You see, the IUM receives its information through wands a—"

"And we'll be doing wandless magic. Which means they won't be able to sense it," Mia said, finally understanding. She almost smirked at how put out her uncle looked at her figuring it out.

"Exactly," her father said she began to pace once more. "Now than, you will have lessons with me and Cissy every Monday and Wednesday after lunch for two hours. Draco will join you for those. Tuesdays and Thursdays you will practice your magick with your uncle and me for two hours each day after breakfast. Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays you will wake up early to exercise with the trainer that I have hired; Wednesdays and Fridays will be two-hour long training, Saturdays will be three. The time spent on each lesson will be adjusted as you improve."

During his speech Mia and Harry had shared incredulous looks at the thought of exercising for _three hours. On a Saturday morning._ Remus, catching these looks decided to jump in.

"We need you to understand that this is _not_ a punishment. We are doing this because we want you _safe._ We hope that the day never comes where we cannot protect you, but we want you to have these skills in case it ever does. You must protect each other." His words triggered a memory for Harry. Maybe it was because they had been talking about that day but he suddenly remembered his promise to his father after Mia's collapse.

' _I won't let anyone hurt my Mia. I'll protect her, just like you told me'_

Well if he wanted to protect her, he had to know _how_ first, right? "Okay," he said suddenly, making his sister throw him a strange look. Harry _never_ agreed to something so quickly. He usually had to be bribed or threatened with a broom confiscation before he would acquiesce to anything.

"Pardon?" asked Sirius, similarly thrown by his easily compliance.

"I said alright. We'll do it. Won't we Mia?" he asked as he turned to look at his sister. She stared at him hard for a moment before nodding her head.

"Oh. Right then. Well. That's settled." Sirius said as he continued to stare at Harry. "Your lessons will be begin this Monday. Cissy should arrive around 1 p.m. with Draco. You are expected in the Ballroom and you will need to wear dress robes." He finished with a grin when he saw Harry's face wrinkle at the idea of having to sit through two hours of lesson in dress robes.

"Can we go now Papa?" asked Mia.

"Yes, you can go. Dinner will be ready soon. I'll send Tilly for you when it's time," and without another word, she pulled Harry out of the room. No doubt heading for the pitch to enjoy the last days of freedom they had.

"That went well," Remus said as he stood up to pour himself some brandy.

"At least there were no sparks," Sirius muttered, remembering how Mia's hair had all but crackled with power in her fury when she found out one of the Weasley twins had thrown her book into the lake. Not even Harry went near her precious books.

Remus, being the bloody werewolf he was, heard him anyway and threw back his head as he laughed. "Shite, but you looked afraid that day. It's a good thing Molly and the kids had left by the time she found out. It would have been hard to explain why an eight-year-old's hair was catching things on fire."

"Oh, because you were so calm and collected, were you Moony? _'Harry be a good lad and take your sister for a walk.'_ At least _I_ went near her," he said as he rolled his eyes. She had burned holes into his favorite Weasley jumper that day. ' _Bloody little Weasley menaces_ ' he grumbled to himself.

Remus, however, wouldn't stop chuckling. "Yes, well. That would be my survival instinct kicking in. You saw that look she had on her face. It's those eyes of hers, you know. They bloody well _glow_ when she gets worked up like that."

Sirius chuckled before suddenly letting out a sigh. "Do you think they're ready for this? Am I doing the right thing?" he asked for what must have been the hundredth time that day.

"You made her a promise Pads. Ready or not, Mia _has_ to do this. Harry as well now since he's grown stronger with the link. It's for her own safety. You know that," he gently reminded his friend.

"I know, I know. It's just…they're _children_ Moony. They should be out running in the pitch or feeding my fire salamander more exploding bonbons. Not getting trained to take on fully matured wizards," he said rather angrily.

"Not much 'bout life is fair Pads," he whispered, looking up at a picture on the wall.

"No. No I suppose you're right," replied Sirius as he looked at the smiling picture of his friends holding their son in front of their new home.

"You agreed to that a bit too quickly," said Mia suspiciously once they had made it into the pool room. "Why?" she asked as they headed towards the changing rooms.

"I'm not up to anything," replied Harry as he grabbed his swim trunks of the back shelf. "Honest Mia!" he insisted when she just stood there looking at him with her arms crossed. He finally sighed.

"Look, you were floating in your room an hour ago. Two weeks ago you almost burned down the broomshed with the that whole _dripping fire from your hands_ _thing_ when I said I was going to get on Dad's broom again—I was joking about that by the way," he said as he handed her suit.

"I said I was sorry Jamie! I don't know why that stuff happens!" cried Mia in her defense.

"I know. That's why we should do this," Harry told her. "That way that stuff doesn't happen once we get to school. You heard dad. People might want to hurt you if they see what you can do," he said worriedly.

Mia sighed. "Alright," she conceded as she finally headed to one of the rooms to change.

Eventually the children had forgotten all about their upcoming lessons as they jumped into the pool and proceeded to dunk each other. As more time went by, Harry began to feel excited about the next week.

' _Who knows? Maybe lessons will be fun,_ ' he thought.

The children decided early on that lesson were _not_ fun. Well, at least Pureblood lessons weren't. While Harry and Mia would normally love spending time with their aunt, they quickly decided that _anything_ was better than having to sit through _two hours_ of Aunt Cissy and her "Proper Pureblood Decorum."

Normally, Mia loved the Ballroom. With its high ceilings, white marble floor, hanging chandeliers, and gold and cream walls it reminded her of the Ballroom in Cinderella. When they walked in with Draco after lunch, however, it was to see Aunt Cissy standing before the suspended Malfoy, Black, and Potter family trees. Beside her was a table with several large old tomes on it. And just like that the majesty of the room seemed to dim.

"We will begin with the basics," she said as she pointed to the family trees. "As the next Lords and Lady of your respective Ancient and Noble Houses, you will need to know your ancestry. Your history." At that, she pointed to the three large volumes at the center of the table. History looked _boring_.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

Gone was the woman who would stay with them when their father had to leave for business and would help them make forts in the library with Draco. This couldn't be the same woman that read Beadle the Bard to them and told them stories of their father and uncle at Hogwarts. This woman was _cruel._ She made them walk back and forth across the Ballroom with those history books balanced on their heads while they tried to memorize their family tree. Both Draco and Harry were dismayed to know that while Mia only had to memorize the Black tree, they needed to memorize their own _and_ the Black tree.

It went on like that for the entire two hours. Harry would have pulled out his hair from sheer boredom but his aunt would slap his hand away whenever it went near his head.

"Has she always been like this? I don't remember her being like this," muttered Harry when she finally declared the end of the lesson.

"You should see her when Father has his functions at the Manor. Or when Blaise's mother comes over for tea," said Draco with a faint shudder.

"How come she's so different? Why can't she be like she is when she comes to visit?" asked Mia curiously. She liked _her_ Aunt Cissy much better.

The first time she had seen Narcissa Malfoy after being adopted was one of her best memories. She had never seen her father so scared and she had decided she wanted to be just like her. They had been having lunch her second day at the Manor when they had heard Tilly's voice.

 

*****Flashback*****

"They is having lunch Miss Cissy but Tilly be getting yous a plate if you wish!"

"No Tilly, that's quite alright. I just need to have a word with my dear cousin," she had said as walked into the dining room.

Sirius had turned slightly pale upon hearing her voice and had shot Remus a panicked look. When she walked in, Mia had thought she was the most beautiful and elegant woman in the world. She had pale skin, high cheekbones, full lips, and sky blue eyes. Her blond sleek hair was down and she was wearing beautiful gray dress robes. Mia thought she looked like a queen.

"Hello Sirius," she had said in a cold voice. "I heard about your adoption. Imagine my surprise, _cousin_ , when I had to find out through _Yvette_ _Zabini_ that _my cousin had adopted a child._ Yvette, Sirius! You can just imagine how insufferable she was when she realized I had no idea what she was talking about!" she said as she stalked Mia's father, who had scrambled to his feet at her entrance and was slowly inching away from her.

" _Why_ , for the love of Circe, did you not think to even _mention_ that little tidbit to me, hmm?" she asked, and Sirius could finally hear the hurt in her voice.

"Cissy, it's not that I didn't want—"

"Oh, don't give me that!"

"—to tell you. It was just rather sudden!" he said, hoping that this wouldn't be his last meal.

"Oh, and I suppose it was too much trouble telling me before the _Daily Prophet_ plastered it all over?" she asked him coldly.

"Errr, okay that's my fault. I've just been so busy settling her in and—"

"Her? I have a niece?" she asked suddenly.

"And a beautiful one at that," he said, seeing his chance. "Mia, love, why don't you come say hello to your Auntie."

When Mia stood up to approach her father Narcissa turned to look at her and all her anger just evaporated. She had always wanted a little girl in the family to dote on.

"My you're a beauty, aren't you sweetling? Oh Morgana, look at those _eyes_ ," she said reaching down to pick up the little girl with a warm smile. "They're beautiful."

Since that day, Narcissa made a point to steal Mia away and take her out for what she told Sirius was their "Witches Only Day". They would spend it in the shops of Diagon Alley and by the time Mia went home, she had more dresses than she could ever wear and more books than she could read.

*****End of Flashback*****

 

"Mother says it's because when she's in public she has to be Lady Malfoy," Draco said as he scrunched up his nose.

"So she's teaching us how to act when we're not home?" asked Harry, remembering how his dad was "Lord Black" when they had guests or had to go to the Ministry.

"I dunno. Guess so," said Draco with a shrug.

"Well, maybe next lesson won't be so bad," said Mia optimistically.

' _Mia was wrong,'_ thought Harry as they walked in to their second lesson that week. _'This is much worse.'_ She was going to make them _dance._

"As the heirs to your Houses, you will be expected to attend many social functions as you grow older. At these functions, you are expected to conduct yourself with poise; you are representing your House, after all. Dancing, is part of that. Eventually you will learn all the classic ballroom dances and we will practice until you can execute them gracefully and flawlessly. This, however, is your first lesson so we'll start with a simple fox trot," she said as she came to stand before where Draco, Mia, and Harry were sitting on the ground.

"For now Harry and Draco will be taking turns dancing with me. Mia, you will be dancing with your father." At her pronouncement, Sirius stepped forward and bowed before Mia with a flourish, causing her to giggle.

"As you get better you will begin to dance with each other, since some of the dances, like the waltz, require lifts," she said making the boys groan. They quieted quickly, however, when Narcissa raised a single brow at them.

"Let's begin."

And so they spent the next two hours practicing the same steps over and over _and over._ It was alright for Mia, their dad kept her snickering with whispered jokes as they danced and she quite enjoyed being swept around. Their aunt, on the other hand, would scold the boys every time they missed a step or stepped on her toes. When she had announced the end of the lesson, the boys had promptly let themselves fall to the floor in a heap of exhaustion and relief.

' _Wager our normal school tutoring will feel like a trip to Honeydukes after this,'_ thought Harry as he felt his sister sit beside him.

"Cheer up. At least it's over until next week," she told them.

In comparison, their wandless magick lessons were relatively painless—if completely frustrating. It took them most of the first two lessons, a total of four hours of nonstop work, just to recognize what their magick felt like.

"You have to focus," Remus said during their second lesson. Again.

"We're _are_ focusing Uncle Remus! We just don't know what to focus _on,"_ snapped a very aggravated Harry. He had a pounding headache and they still had another half-hour left. Harry could feel _something_ just out of his reach and it was driving him mad. It was like the chocolate box Uncle Remus kept hidden in the top shelf pantry of the kitchen: he knew it was there but he couldn't quite get to it.

"Okay, okay. Obviously that's not working. Let's try something else, hmm? Take a seat pups," said Sirius before Remus could open his mouth to reply. He sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, looking at his children expectantly.

Mia followed his example and reached up to tug on Harry's hand when he kept standing. He finally sat down with a grumbled "three galleons this doesn't work either" to his sister.

"I want you to close your eyes. And your mouth Harry. Whatever it is you want to say, it can wait," he said when he saw his son getting ready to argue.

"Hmmph,"

"Like I said, close your eyes. Now take a deep breath. Let it out. And another. I want you to only focus on your breathing, ignore everything else. You feel how the air travels from your nose into your body? You feel your chest expanding with each breath?" he asked. Remus, having caught on to what he was trying to do shot him a thumbs-up from across the room.

Both children nodded as they continued their deep breathing. "Good, good. Keep focusing on that."

Once a few minutes had passed and it looked like both children had entered a semi-meditative state he spoke again in a low voice. "Your magick is in every inch of you. It flows through you like the air you breathe, or the blood pumping through your veins. It's inside of you."

Harry was about to open his mouth to tell his father this wasn't working either when he finally felt it. It was like a water current just below the surface of his skin, pushing and pulling inside of him. He gave a startled laugh as his eyes flew open and met his sister's smiling metallic gaze.

Mia had been able to feel her magick since the first lesson. She had become aware of _something_ inside of her almost as soon as she started focusing. It was warm and comforting and _electric_ ; sparking and snapping inside of her, _alive._

' _This explains all those fire incidents'_ she had thought to herself as she felt her fingertips heat with power.

She had kept quiet about her discovery, however, because she knew her brother would only become more frustrated and discouraged if he saw how easy it had been for her. But when she heard his laugh, she knew he could finally feel his magick as well.

"You owe me three galleons," she smirked at him.

"Jamie, wake up," Mia said as she shook her brother. When she received no response, she did it again more forcefully. "Wake up!"

When all she got was a grun, she decided drastic measures were in order. She backed up a few steps until she hit the wall before she ran at her brother's bed and jumped on it. She landed right on top of Harry.

"Oooof. Ughhh. Mia! Gerroff!" he said as he tried to shove her off.

"No! You have to get up. It's Saturday and its ten till six. If we're late the trainer will make us run extra. Again. Come on Jamie, get up!" she said as she stood on his bed and began to jump.

"I'm up! I'm up!" he groaned as he sat up in bed and looked around blearily.

"Oh good. Here, put on your glasses. I put your trainers and your shorts on your bed already. There's a glass of pumpkin juice on your bedside table as well that I had Tilly bring up. I'm heading downstairs now. _Don't_ go back to bed," she warned him as she walked out of his room.

She was almost at the staircase when she saw Lu. He was heading downstairs and levitating some boxes behind him.

"Good morning Lu," she said with a smile as she caught up to him.

"Good morning Miss Mia," he replied in his deep voice. She always thought it was funny that Lu had such a deep voice when he was so small.

"What's in the boxes?" she asked, trying to peer inside.

"Master Black be giving old clothes to the orphanage," replied the elf.

"Oh! I forgot that was this week. Lu will you come find me after training? I have some old jumpers and dresses that don't fit anymore," she said as she reached the ground floor.

"Of course. Lu will come find you," he said. With that he headed towards library, no doubt to leave the boxes by the floo before helping Nan with breakfast.

When she reached the family room she saw that their trainer was already outside talking to her dad who looked fresh in from his morning run. Mr. Trent was a tall man that was always laughing—even when he told them to run another lap. He had deep brown skin, long braids he kept tied back, and dark eyes. Father had hired him because he was an American half-blood who had several martial arts studios in the Muggle world. He said he was going to teach Mia and Harry how to defend themselves but so far all he'd made them do was run and stretch.

"Good morning Papa," she said as she went outside. "Good morning Mr. Trent."

"Good morning, little fox. Well Devan, I'll leave you to it" her father said as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Mia wrinkled her nose as he left. He had definitely just come from his morning run.

"Morning Mia. Where's your brother?" he said in his deep voice with raised brows.

"Jamie will be right down. Needed to use the loo before we began," she replied without hesitation. The siblings had plenty of practice covering for each other by now.

"Hmm. Okay. Well you might as well start stretching."

Mia sighed as she complied, stretching her tired and aching muscles. She never knew running could make you so _sore._ Just then Harry came jogging through the door, out of the family room.

"Ah, good of you to join us Harry. Start stretching with your sister. Don't want any cramps, do you?" he said with a laugh, referring to their first run. Harry had only stretched half-heartedly and had been forced to stop five-minutes into their run when his leg cramped.

"Yes sir," he mumbled a he joined Mia. "Thanks for covering for me," he said under his breath.

"You're welcome. Told him you had to use the loo. You owe me one," she replied just as quietly as she pulled her right leg up behind her, wincing as her sore muscles stretched.

"Thought dad said he was supposed to teach us how to defend ourselves. How's running and stretching do that exactly?" he grumbled as he copied his sister's actions, wince and all. He didn't notice Mr. Trent had come to stand behind him.

"Because, young Harry," he said, making Harry jump slightly and Mia snicker, "the first rule of defending yourself is if you can run away, you run away. The goal of our time together is to make sure you can get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Running away does that. Besides," he said with a wink, "we have to build up your endurance before we start with martial arts."

"But you will teach us that eventually?" asked Mia.

"Of course. When I think you're ready. Now then, we're going to start out with 5 miles today. After that we're going to spend an hour doing laps in the pool. We'll spend the rest of the time playing tennis. Or gymnastics, haven't quite decided" he said before starting off across the grounds.

' _Oh joy,'_ thought Mia as Harry groaned and they began to follow.

They ran across the grounds and the pitch and headed into the woods that surrounded the Manor. Her father had Dox, their garden elf, clear a path through the forest that looped around their home so he could go on his morning runs. At this time of day, the sun was just beginning to rise and they could hear the birds in the trees singing. As their feet slapped against the ground and leaves crunched under them, Mia couldn't help but feel peaceful. She loved going into the forest but wasn't able to visit often. Their father didn't allow them to go beyond the Manor's protective wards alone.

"My legs feel like a hippogriff stepped on. Repeatedly," panted Harry after about twenty minutes.

"Sounds about right," she puffed out. "What's worse is that he's taking it slow with us. We're not even halfway through the run."

"You think so?" asked Harry glancing up at the trainer.

"Uh-huh. Papa runs double what we run in this time" she huffed.

"Keep up kids. Still got three miles to go," he said looking back at his charges.

Harry groaned. "He's not even winded," he said with a scowl.

"Maybe we won't be either one day," she said sounding hopeful. Harry just snorted.

* * *

**4 October, 1990**

The next two months passed in a blur. A painful, exhausted blur. Their lessons with their aunt and father were just as boring as the first two and Mia knew Harry dreaded those more than their Saturday morning treks through the woods. At least they were done with the family trees. Now were working on "Proper Pureblood Manners" and their posture. And their dancing, of course. Needless to say, those lessons were _very_ tedious. Not that wandless magic was going without a hitch.

"It will get easier," Remus assured them after Harry gave a frustrated cry as his magick slipped through his fingers again. "Think of it this way: you have magical muscles that take your thoughts and turn them into actions. Until now you had not…exercised them often, for lack of a better term. As time passes, those muscles will become stronger and stronger until you can perform most magick without a wand."

He neglected to tell them, of course, that they were working on pure theory. Few wizards or witches ever mastered wandless magick—even Remus and Sirius had trouble with anything beyond the basic spells. They were hoping, however, that once the children learned how to control their magick without a wand, that the rest would be instinctual. As a last resort, Sirius had a list of potential tutors.

Mia sighed as she plopped down on the ground. She knew their dad and uncle were keeping something from them. It wasn't _usual_ for witches or wizards to learn wandless magic. When Draco was over yesterday for their lesson she had carefully made a comment about one day hoping to do magic wandlessly. He had only scoffed at the idea saying that not even his mother could do that. If Aunt Cissy, who was a powerful witch in her own right, couldn't do it then why were _they_ trying to learn it?

"Let's try again," their father said from where he stood by Harry.

With a groan she got back up and held out her hand. _"Lumos,"_ they said together.

A ball of light began to form in the center of her palm, illuminating the area around her. She looked over to Harry and saw that he had managed to conjure the light as well. But they had done this already.

' _The problem isn't conjuring the stupid thing,'_ thought Mia disgruntled. _'It's keeping it lit'_

"That's it. Now just feed it some magick and—" her uncle began encouragingly but it was no use. As easily as it had come, Harry's little ball of light flickered before sputtering out.

"We'll never be able to do this," he complained as he saw Mia's go out too.

"You just need to practice, that's all," replied Remus with forced cheerfulness. "Alright, that's the end of the lesson. We'll pick up with this again Tuesday." The words had hardly left his mouth before the kids had run out the door.

"It doesn't make sense Padfoot. With as much raw power as she has, she should be able to do a _Lumos_. Even at only ten," Remus said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh, she can do it. There's no doubt in my mind that she's been able to hold that spell since the third week," Sirius said as he stared at the door his children had just left through. When Remus shot him an incredulous look, he explained.

"She's pretending Moony. Haven't you noticed her spell only falters after Harry's does? She doesn't want him to feel bad. Harry's the only one she would ever tamper down her talent for. I know my Mia," Sirius said confidently.

"Well then what do we do? She needs to learn more advanced spells," Remus said as he rubbed his face.

"Don't think there's too much we _can_ do Moony. We just have to wait for Harry to get the hang of it. He's a bright kid, powerful too, thanks to their link. Once he figures out how to feed the spell they'll advance quickly. Give it another week or two and he'll be fine," he told him as he guided them out of the room.

And he was. By the end of their lesson two weeks later Harry was able to hold the spell for nearly half an hour. This time Remus noticed the careful eye Mia kept on her brother and how her spell faltered only moments after his. But they had made progress.

* * *

**21 December, 1990**

"You would think with Christmas around the corner we would get a break," Harry said, his breath visible in the frosty morning air.

"Take that up with your dad," Mr. Trent said with a laugh. "C'mon, after today you won't see me until the New Year. And I went easy on you yesterday. You were inside the whole time."

"Yeah. Doing laps in the Ballroom. Which you enlarged to fit a track inside of," grumbled her brother. "Why couldn't we run in there again?"

Mr. Trent shrugged his shoulders. "Your sister wanted to go into the woods. Far be it for me to deny the lady of the house," he said with a wink.

"Miaaaa. I think I've lost all feeling in my nose. It's probably fallen off," he said as he reached for his nose, making sure it was, in fact, still attached to his face.

"I wanted to see the forest," she told him unrepentantly. "Besides, you owed me so stop complaining."

Mia decided she loved the forest in the winter. The snow covered the pine trees and the ground in a thick sheet, making it look like otherworldly. It reminded her of one of those landscape paintings that her father had in the library, the one with wood nymphs dancing around the trees in the snow.

"Jamie," she said a few minutes later. "Have you got all your presents ready?" She had finished her Christmas shopping weeks ago when she went into Diagon Alley with her Aunt Cissy, but she knew her brother probably had a few left to buy.

"Uhhhh…not quite," said Harry nervously, speeding up slightly to make sure their trainer was near to protect him from his sister's wrath.

"Well who do you have left to buy for?" she huffed impatiently.

"Hmmm? Well. I have dad's done" he said finally. That made her stop in her tracks. They had gotten that present together.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER. Christmas is in four days! Are you saying that you still have to buy _all_ of your presents?!" she all but screeched, making a few birds take flight.

' _Oh no,'_ thought Harry nervously. He was pretty sure he had seen a spark in her hair and that never bode well.

"Well," he said thinking furiously, "I, uh, wanted you to help me find them. You're loads better at knowing what people like for presents."

' _Yeah that sounds good,'_ he though satisfied.

Mia, however, only glowered at him fiercely which made him start to sweat more than their run had so far. His sister's eyes might be "stunning" as his Aunt Cissy liked to say, but they were terrifying when she was angry. The gold made them almost glow.

"Hey, why'd you stop? We only have two more miles. Did Harry get a cramp again?" Mr. Trent said as he'd approached. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he noticed they weren't trailing behind him anymore. Lord Black would kill him if he lost his kids in the woods.

"Uh no, no I'm fine. Let's finish the run" said Harry quickly, almost sprinting in his effort to get away from his sister.

"Oh no he doesn't," said Mia before giving chase. When Harry looked over his shoulder and saw her, he gave a yelp before picking up the speed.

They made great time getting back and when Mr. Trent came around the corner and saw Harry being held facedown in the snow while his sister sat on his back and yelled at him, all he could think was that at least they were using what he was teaching them.

* * *

**25 December, 1990**

Sirius was dimly aware of someone yelling "MERRY CHRISTMAS" before he felt something jump on top of him.

"Ooooof"

' _Ah, glad to see the tradition continues'_ he thought as he groaned. He could hear Moony groaning from across the hall as he was treated to the same wakeup call.

"Wake up dad, it's Christmas!" yelled Harry before running out of the room. Once Sirius woke up and recovered from the surprise attack he cast a _Tempus._

6:18 A.M.

' _Oh, the joys of fatherhood'_ he thought before he yawned loudly.

"PADFOOT GET THIS HELLION OFF ME" he heard his friend yell. Chuckling he walked across the hall to investigate what had Moony's tail in a twist. What he saw when he walked into his bedroom made him burst into laughter.

Mia had apparently been practicing her wandless magic and had turned Remus's night clothes into florescent fuchsia with large red hearts on it. She was now in the process of trying to wrangle him into a tiara but the werewolf was putting up a strong fight. When she heard her father's laughter she scrambled off the bed.

"Papa, Uncle Remus won't wear the tiara I got for him," she said with a pout and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Now we can't have that, can we Princess?" he asked still wheezing slightly from his laughing fit. Then, with an evil smirk he pounced on the bed to hold his friend down.

"Padfoot! That's not—oooof—fair! Wait until I get my—OWW—hands on you, you mangy mutt," he growled as Sirius managed to pin him down. Stupid Auror training.

"There now Moony. Don't be a poor sport. Your favorite niece got you this dashing tiara. It would be bad form to not accept it," Sirius said teasingly as Mia fastened the tiara into his hair.

"And my night clothes?" he asked wryly.

"Well that was just genius on her part, that was. Her Marauder streak coming through," he said proudly. Mia suddenly ran forward and placed her hands on his own nightclothes, changing them from black to lilac with yellow butterflies before she yelled "Now!"

Before Sirius could even blink, Harry came barreling through the door, camera in hand. He snapped a shot, catching his uncle's and father's surprised expressions before he grabbed his sister's hand and sprinted out the door. The adults could still hear their laughter as they made it down the hall and stomped down the stairs.

Sirius stared at Remus in shock. "Did…did my children just pull one on us? And _use_ me to pull it off?" he asked.

"Looks that way," said Remus dryly. "Wonder how long she's been working on this little trick," he mused as he looked down at their new nightclothes.

"It _is_ a rather impressive display of magic," said Sirius as he nodded approvingly.

"Let me up already, you git. Your elbow is digging into my ribs," Remus finally said as he shoved him.

"Why Moony, are you trying to sweet talk me?" asked Sirius batting his eyelashes at him.

"Padfoot if you don't get off me, I swear I'll show them the picture of you in that dress during the common room party in fifth year," he said in warning.

"I looked rather fetching in that dress, as I recall" he said with a smirk, unconcerned.

"Fine. Then I'll show them the one where you were drinking Firewhiskey," he growled.

"You wouldn't," Sirius said, suddenly pale as he scrambled off. The last thing he wanted was his little Mia getting drunk in fifth year around a bunch of hormonal boys.

"Try me." It was Remus's turn to smirk.

"PAPA, UNCLE REMUS, GET DOWN SO WE CAN OPEN OUR PRESENTS" they heard Mia yell up the stairs. Remus turned to look at him and his eyes suddenly widened before he started laughing.

"Did you know you're wearing a flower crown?" he finally wheezed out.

Sirius sighed and started to chuckle. "Oh, she's good," he said proudly as finally let him up.

"Did you get it then?" Mia asked her brother as she came back into the living room.

"Yup," said Harry grinning. "Brilliant idea, by the way. Didn't think we'd pull it off." He had already stashed the camera under the couch in the family room. He'd go develop it later once he knew his dad wasn't after him.

"Made learning that stupid spell worth it," said Mia, laughing as she remembered the look on their faces when Harry had snapped the picture. It had taken her over two weeks of constant practicing on the old dolls stored in the attic before she was able to do it.

"Reckon we should divide up the presents while they get down here?" he asked as he knelt in front of the tree.

"Sure," Mia shrugged and knelt to help him. They had just finished making four piles when the adults walked in. Once they were all seated and drinking the hot chocolates that Tilly had brought in, they decided Remus would the first to open presents.

"What'd you get Uncle Remus?" asked Harry as he took a swing of his drink.

"Let's see, a new watch from Padfoot," he said as he opened a small red box. "A…Honeydukes gift certificate from you. Harry, you're a gift from Merlin himself," he said, making everyone laugh. "My Honorary Weasley sweater, blue this year. Oh Cissy got me a dragonhide wand holster," he said, waiving it around triumphantly. "That leave's a…lovely…fuchsia scarf from Mia. Cheeky witch," he said when she started laughing.

"Look underneath it," she finally told him.

"Ah. Is that…SHI—I mean wow, it is. A signed first edition _Confronting the Faceless_ by Quentin Trimble! Mia where did you find this?" he asked shocked.

"Dad helped," she said shrugging.

"Thank you sweetheart, it's great" he said with a big smile.

Her father received new dress robes from her Uncle Remus, a bottle of brandy from the Malfoys, and a red sweater from the Weasleys. When he finally opened Mia's and Harry's present he just stared inside the box in awe before grabbing each of his children in a bone-crushing hug.

"Best children ever!" he declared after he released them and he took out his new black leather jacket. Uncle Remus had taken them into Muggle London to buy it a few weeks ago.

When it was his turn, Harry nearly exploded when he saw the full-sized broom his father had gotten him. When he opened his uncle's gift and saw a broom self-servicing kit he got up and did some sort of jig. He also received a green Weasley sweater and a watch from the Malfoys. When he opened his gift from Mia and saw dragonhide Quidditch gloves he outright tackled her to the floor before purposefully planting sloppy kisses on her cheeks and saying "thank you" over and over again.

Mia, when she started opening her presents, saw that she also received a full-sized broom from her father. "So you can keep your brother in check," he told her at seeing her wide eyes.

When she saw Uncle Remus had given her a complete mini-potions set she had launched herself at him and had to be pried off by Harry. "Now you can move past theory. And get into more trouble," he told her with a wink once he had stopped laughing. Her father only groaned at that.

She got a yellow Weasley sweater, a new dress from Aunt Cissy, a sapphire hair brooch from the Malfoys, and a Potions book from Harry. When she saw the book, it was _her_ turn to tackle _him_ and plaster kisses all over his red cheeks. She thought the book had been the last of them when her father placed one more gift in her hands.

"You missed one, love" he said quietly.

' _Right…nearly forgot about that,'_ she thought as she stared down at it.

Every year on her birthday and for Christmas there was an extra present for her with no name. Her uncle and Harry never said a word about it and when she asked her father about it he got a sad look in his eye and shook his head. She had eventually just stopped asking.

Mia opened it and saw a beautiful leather cuff bracelet inside. It was about three inches and she could see something moving on it. When she raised it up to get a closer look, she saw a small fox running flanked by a black wolf and a large black dog, with an even larger sandy-brown wolf running behind them. Above them under a night sky flew a black bird with its wings spread wide. The bracelet looked too big for her and she flipped it over to see if it could be adjusted. That's when she saw the small delicate letters that said ' _With you always little fox'._

She flipped it back over and had reached up to touch the bird with her fingertip when her father spoke.

"It's a raven," he said with a soft smile and that sad look in his eyes.

"It's beautiful," she whispered before she slipped it on. As soon as it came to rest on her wrist, it shrunk down to fit her perfectly.

' _You'd be proud of her, Raven,'_ thought Sirius sadly as he watched her put it on.

"C'mon, let's go break in those new brooms of yours," he said to his children as he stood up.


	7. You Only Turn Eleven Once

**6 July, 1991**

"Jamie, could you pass me the strawberry jam please?" Mia asked as she picked up a slice of toast at breakfast. She looked up when she heard her father walk into the dining room.

"How was training?" asked Sirius as he came into the dining room.

"Long" answered the siblings at the same time. Saturday training was _always_ long.

"Mr. Trent had us run 10 miles since Jamie was late. Again. Then we had to do aikido katas for the rest of the time. My arms hurt," said Mia as she poured herself some pumpkin juice.

"He said we're going to start learning krav maga soon," said Harry excitedly from her other side.

"Hope it's more exciting than katas," grumbled Mia.

"Harry, did you remember to put your broom back in the shed yesterday?" asked Sirius as he looked up at his son.

"Uh….."

"It rained last night," said Sirius in disapproval at his son's apparent forgetfulness.

"Don't worry Jamie," Mia said when her brother looked like he was about to run outside. "I put it away when I came from my walk with Tilly." Her father had finally allowed her to go for walks in the woods so long as she had one of the elves or her uncle with her.

"You know, your sister won't always be able to pick up after you," said Remus with amusement as he drank his tea.

"Quite right Moony. You'll be leaving for Hogwarts soon and you two might not be in the same house," he reminded his children.

"You don't know that. We might—oh no," Harry said as he suddenly ran over to open the window before hastily stepping aside. He had just managed to clear the window when two large barn owls flew in, knocking over a jug of pumpkin juice as they landed on the table.

Mia immediately began to coo at the birds, petting their soft feathered bodies. Sirius, in the meantime, picked up the letters that had been dropped in his eggs with a disgruntled sigh before grabbing the _Dailey Prophet_ off the toast _._

' _They really need to teach those bloody birds how to aim their delivery better,'_ he thought as he reached into his pocket to take out a knut.

His daughter was too busy giving the birds bits of her bacon and Harry was too consumed in his breakfast to notice that the envelops delivered had the legendary emerald ink of Hogwarts. He decided to open the one addressed to:

 

Ms. M. Black,   
Blue Bedroom at the end of the Second Floor Right Corridor,

Black Manor,

St. Briavels

 

He cleared his throat and began to read the letter. "Dear Ms. Black," he said, causing Mia to look up from the owls. "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizar—"

"LET ME SEE, LET ME SEE!" cried Mia, finally abandoning the owls in favor of running around the table to reach him, Harry hot on her heels. He handed over their letters respectively and watched as his children's cheeks pinked and eyes brightened in excitement.

"WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS!" they both shouted and started running around the room.

"Papa can we go to Diagon Alley to get our supplies? I want to get our books so I can get started with the readings," Mia said as she came to a stop before him.

"What do they mean first years aren't allowed a broom? How can I play Quidditch then?" Harry said indignantly as he turned his letter over.

Remus laughed, "First years aren't allowed to play Quidditch. Thought you both knew that already."

"WHAT?" yelled Harry outraged.

"Jamie stop it. I told you you couldn't take your broom with you but you weren't paying attention," snapped Mia irritated before turning back to her father.

"Mia, love, you know me and your uncle will be out of town for a week and then we have to set things up for the party on the 13th," he told her as he picked up his cup of coffee to take a drink. "We'll go the Monday after the party, there'll be less people then,"

"Then we'll go with Aunt Cissy while you're gone!" she said imploringly.

Sirius snorted. "I don't think so. You and your brother are already a handful, throw in Draco and there's bound to be disaster. I love Cissy but even _she_ can't wrangle all three of you while shopping for three sets of supplies. No. We'll go Monday after the party," he said with a tone of finality.

"But I don't even want to _have_ a party. Blaise will only make fun of me and Fred and George will probably put something in the cake," she pouted, hoping her father would give in.

Sirius sighed, "Be that as it may, you two will have to power through. You are getting older and it is expected to host celebrations for your birthday," he reminded her.

Mia huffed as she grabbed Harry who was still skulking about not being able to take his broom to school. "C'mon. I want to go for a ride." At her words Harry cheered up and happily followed her out of the dining room.

"At least there were no sparks," said Remus as he finished the last of his tea.

"Yes. There's always that," Sirius said dryly.

"Do you want to fly over the lake?" yelled Harry as they flew over the pitch. Instead of answering him, Mia changed directions and headed towards the glistening water. She really wasn't _that_ bothered that they weren't going to the alley. She wasn't even bothered about the party. Much. She was just frustrated because she knew that there would be yet another present at the bottom of the pile with no name and it drove her _mad._

' _I just want to know who you are,'_ thought Mia as she glanced at her cuff bracelet. She had flown down closer to the lake until her fingers could trail through the water. She looked over to Harry and saw that he had follower her down, keeping close to her. She splashed water over to him impulsively, laughing at his look of shock before flying away from him.

Harry, however, would not be shaken so easily. He chased after his sister until they were back over the lake, about 5 meters above the water. He pushed his broom closer before suddenly jumping over to her.

Mia screamed as she felt her brother grab her around her waist before they were both knocked from their brooms. "Take a deep breathe!" Harry yelled, tightening his hold before the water swallowed them. Mia opened her eyes as they sank down into the lake and saw startled fish swimming away from them. She felt a tug around her middle and saw Harry smile before he started to pull them back up to the surface.

"Harry, you idiot, I think I lose a shoe!" Mia laughed as they surfaced. She wiped her wet curls from her face and picked out a few twigs that were caught in the locks. Harry's emerald eyes shone bright with mischief, completely unapologetic as he laughed. He moved away a bit before closing his eyes and floating on his back, his face facing the sun. Mia, seeing her chance for pay back, reached out and dunked him into the lake before turning to swim for the shore quickly. She could hear Harry resurface behind her as he sputtered.

"Mia that's not fair! I told you to take a breath before I knocked us in! I think I swallowed a fish!" yelled Harry before he began to swim after her.

Mia just laughed as she finally pulled herself out of the water. "Maybe, but Aunt Cissy just gave me this blouse and now it's going to smell like the lake," she huffed at him when he finally joiner her.

"Hey Jamie," she said straightening up suddenly from examining her shirt. "What happened to our brooms?"

"I-I'm not exactly sure," he said, realizing they had abandoned them in midair.

"Dad won't be pleased if we've already broken them," Mia warned him.

"I'm sure they're fine! We just have to…find them." With that he began to walk around the lake in search of their abandoned rides. Mia sighed before following him.

They found them after about fifteen minutes, stuck in one of the alders by the edge of the lake. Stuck _high_ in one of the alders.

" _You_ get it," said Mia with her arms crossed. "It was _your_ brilliant idea that got them up there."

"Yeah Mia but you're better at climbing. Besides, you're smaller than me so you can get to the higher branches," Harry tried to say.

"Harry James Potter we are the same size!" snapped Mia.

"Fine, _please_ Mia? I don't think I could make it that high," Harry implored her with his puppy dog eyes.

"But we were flying higher than that!" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Yeah, but we were _moving_. I don't like heights when you just have to stand there," replied Harry with a somewhat queasy look on his face as he looked back up at the brooms.

"Fine. But you make no sense sometimes," huffed Mia as she used the tie she kept on her wrist to put up her hair.

After a few minutes of climbing she was able to reach a branch directly below the brooms and started to tug Harry's free. It took a few hard tugs before she was finally able to dislodge it. "Catch!" she yelled down to him as she let go of the handle. Once she saw he had successfully caught his, she moved farther out on the branch to get her own.

"Please be careful Mia!" Harry yelled looking green at how far up his sister was.

"Great Quidditch player _you'll_ turn out to be," she muttered under her breath as she continued to scoot down the branch. She could see her broomstick handle about half a meter in front of her. She just needed to stretch a…bit…more.

"Aha!" she yelled in triumph as she wrapped her hand around it. She yanked it down with one hard yank before she suddenly felt the branch shudder under her. She hear a loud _crack_ and suddenly she was falling through the air, losing her grip on her broom in her panic. She distantly heard Harry yell her name somewhere below before she felt something hit her head and everything went black.

' _OW OW OW,'_ was her first thought when she felt herself come to. She felt so _tired._ She could feel the hard ground under her and something warm wrapped around her. She could also hear someone saying her name. Jamie. That was Jamie's voice. She opened her eyes to see emerald eyes flooding with tears.

"Oh, thank Merlin," he said when he saw her metallic gray eyes open. "I told you to be careful you idiot, not to go falling out of a tree," he said with a hiccup.

"Jamie, what happened? And why does my head hurt?" she asked with a wince as she touched the base of her skull. She could feel a lump under her fingers.

' _So that's why my head feels like it's been hit with a bludger,'_ she thought to herself absently.

"What do you mean what happened? You fell out of a bloody tree!" he almost yelled, voice still thick with tears and leftover fear.

"Language," she scolded him absently before continuing. "No, I got that part. But something had to happen. I was pretty high up. I should be more hurt than this," she said as she sat up and turned to look at him.

"About that. See you need to stay calm right? Don't…don't freak out," he said glancing at the tree looking like _he_ was trying not to freak out. "You…well, the tree…and uhh" he said, not knowing quite how to put it into words.

"You're not making sense," she said with a frown and rubbed her eyes. Her arms felt heavy with exhaustion and her vision kept going fuzzy. Her brother took a deep breath before glancing between her and the tree.

"The tree caught you," he finally blurted out.

"Sorry?" she said, thinking her head's fogginess was making her hear things.

"The tree. It sort of…caught you," he repeated, running a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean it _caught_ me? Trees can't _catch_ anything!" she said, wondering if her brother had hit his head as well.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy. But when you started to fall you sort of…glowed…for a second and then the tree sort of….bent to…catch you. One of its branches moved to grab you and you hit your head on it. Then it sort of…placed you down here. I'm not making this up Mia!" he said when started to look suspicious, as though she thought he was having her on.

"It's not as if something like this hasn't happened before," he told her quietly as he watched her eyes fill with fear when she finally accepted what he was saying. These things were not supposed to _happen_ to eleven-year-olds who hadn't even held their first wand yet.

"Jamie. _I made a_ _tree_ _move_ ," she said starting to hyperventilate. Something was wrong with her, it had to be.

"Mia, you heard dad. You're just powerful. And it only happened because you _fell out_ of a tree. I think your magick just sort of reacted to that," he tried to reassure her.

"Jamie what if something's wrong with me?" she whispered as she stared at the tree.

"No, nothing's wrong with you. It's not like you're going around burning down buildings or anything," he said immediately. "So you made a tree bend. That could come in handy when we go to Hogwarts," he told her, trying to lighten the mood and get rid of the fear that had settled in her eyes.

She gave a weak laugh and tried to stand before wincing. Harry noticed immediately and helped her up. "We need to get you inside," he told her as they started to move towards the house.

"What about the brooms? Dad will kill us if we leave them out," he reminded him. He groaned and looked back.

"Alright wait here," he told her as he went back to get them before running them to the broomshed. By the time he rushed back to her, he wasn't even winded. All that running with Mr. Trent had paid off.

"Okay, let's go," he said as he wrapped his arm around her again.

"Hey Jamie, I don't feel so good," she said faintly after a few minutes of walking before stumbling. Her brother threw his other arm around her and held her in a hug to prevent her falling.

"Tilly!" he called, afraid that Mia was more hurt than they had thought.

_Crack._ "What can Tilly do for Mast—Miss!" she said when she caught sight of the pale girl barely being held up. "Oh, what did Miss do?" asked the elf fretfully.

"Jamie why didn't we just call her to begin with?" she asked faintly before passing out for the second time that day.

"Oh Miss!" cried Tilly before snapping her fingers to catch her as Harry stumbled under her dead weight. She grabbed a hold of Harry and Mia before apparating with them back to the Manor.

"Tilly you have to get dad here now. And Uncle Remus," Harry said as she levitated Mia into her bed. She looked pale but her cheeks were red, like she had a fever.

Tilly nodded quickly before disappearing with a loud _crack._

Sirius had been in the library reading through some estate reports from Gringotts when he hears two loud _cracks_ and suddenly he was in the kitchen, watching a startled Remus set down a Honeydukes chocolate box back on the top shelf of the pantry. Then he heard another loud _crack_ and he was in Mia's bedroom, fighting off a wave of vertigo.

"What the bloody hell Tilly?" Remus asked when he recovered from his disorientation. Sirius was still trying to catch his breath when he heard Harry's panicked shout of "Dad!" and snapped his head up.

He saw Harry standing in front of him, his hair dripping wet and clothes soaked. He was about to scold him when he noticed that Harry's face was tearstained. He looked around and when he saw Mia, he felt his stomach drop. She was soaked from head to foot as well, her black curls stuck to her head and neck and splayed across her pillow. Her olive skin was too pale but he could see her cheeks were red with fever and a sheen of sweat had collected on her forehead. It was an all too familiar sight.

"What happened?" he barked out as he rushed to her side. He put a hand on her forehead and felt her skin burning up.

Harry pulled at his hair and glanced between his dad and uncle before just spitting it out. "She fell out of a tree six meters up but then she _glowed_ and the tree _caught her_." Both adults stared at him in shock before his uncle started firing off spells. Soon a body map glowed above Mia, but the sphere of light in the middle looked dim.

"It's like last time Pads. She burned through her reserves when her magick snapped out to save her from the fall. Her body's burning up because it's trying to produce what she's lost" he said worriedly.

"Will she be okay though?" he asked as he pulled her wet hair away from her face.

"I think so. She should be but I can't be sure how long it'll take. She used a lot of her magick," he said as he looked at the vital signs.

Sirius made a quick decision and pulled Harry over to her bed. "Harry I need you to listen carefully to me. You can help Mia get better if you share your magick with her like you did after she healed you," he told his son.

"What? Dad I don't know how to do that" he said shakily.

"Harry, listen! You've done it before. Close your eyes; think about your magick. Reach out to feel it like we do in lessons, pup. Got it? Okay come here. Lay down next to your sister, grab her hand. Okay now imagine that your _pushing_ your magick down your arm and into her," he told Harry.

Harry tried to do what his father was telling him to but he couldn't grab a hold of his magick like he usually could; he was too shaken. "Papa I can't! I can't help her!" he said panicking. Sirius felt his heart break when he heard the endearment—it had been years since Harry had called him that.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. Take a deep breath. Just like we did when you needed to find your magick, yeah? Deep breath in….Hold it…Let it out. Another one. Good…hold it…excellent pup. Okay now let's try again okay?" he asked as Harry calmed down. "Alright now think about your magick. You told me it felt like a water current right? Okay now think about that current and imagine that you're _pushing_. Push it until it reaches Mia," he told Harry encouragingly.

Harry scrunched up his nose in concentration, much like his sister typically did, as he tried to do just that. He could feel the current inside him but he was having trouble grabbing it. It kept slipping right through his fingers. It took him a few more minutes but slowly, very slowly he could feel it becoming tangible enough to move. He pictured it moving up Mia's arm and once he felt a few drops leave him, it was like a damn broke and suddenly he could feel his magick more clearly. He could grab it and move it. So he did, and pushing into his sister.

Sirius saw the moment that Harry was able to do it. He began to glow softly, like he had the day Mia healed him, and then the glow moved up Mia's arm until it encompassed her too. Soon her breath evened out and the body map above her showed her core getting brighter as Harry replenished some of what she had lost. Harry suddenly let go with a tired sighed and threw his arm around his sister.

Moony was busy casting diagnostic charms over Mia and muttering under his breath as her head lit up a soft red.

"Tilly, will you bring me a Pain-Relief Potion?" he asked as he turned away from Mia.

"Of course Master Moony!" she said, excited at finally having something to do. _Crack._

At the sound of her disappearance Mia's eyes fluttered open. Sirius decided that he had never been so relieved to see that metallic and gold gaze than in that moment. Her skin had regained some color and her cheeks had lost their feverish glow. She moved her arm, pulling away from Harry, causing him to look up at her.

"Hey Jamie. Whatcha doin?" she asked him with a tired smile.

"Idiot sister, told you to be careful," he said as he returned to hugging her.

"Harry, careful!" Sirius said when he saw Mia wince.

"Sorry, sorry!" his son said as he leaned back quickly. He sat beside her and reached down to grab her hand instead.

"No, it's fine. Just hit a sore spot from this morning's katas," she said as she tried to sit up.

"How you feeling, sweetheart?" Remus asked checking her vitals once more after Tilly came back with a _crack._

"I'm fine, Uncle Remus. My head just hurts a bit. Think I'm mostly just tired," she said rubbing her eyes.

"Oh good, Miss yous awake!" Tilly said with teary eyes.

Remus nodded. "You're suffering from magical exhaustion. You used too much of your power too fast and you passed out while your body tried to generate more. Here, take this. It'll help with your head," he said as he handed her the sky-blue potion.

"Good. Now, that we know you're fine," Sirius said as he stood and crossed his arms, "which one of you is going to tell me why you were in a tree? And why are you both wet?" he asked them in a hard voice. They had _a lot_ of explaining to do.

By the time they had retold the story Sirius was clenching his jaw so tight, they could see a muscle tick. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reminding himself that it was frowned upon to lock children up in their rooms. And that bloody Moony would interfere if he tried anyway.

"You will go take a bath. Then you are going to lie own and sleep until lunch. No arguments. No discussions. And no brooms until further notice," he said in a scarily calm voice that immediately had both children on edge. They quickly nodded when he opened his gray eyes to look at them.

"Tilly, please help Mia with her bath. Then make sure she gets straight into bed. We'll come get you for dinner," he said before walking out of the room with their uncle.

"He's really angry," said Mia after they left.

"Uh-huh," was all Harry could say. He stood up and then helped his sister off the bed. "See you at dinner," he said, feeling tired.

Tilly ended up having to pick out twigs and leaves from her hair before Mia was able to bathe. Once she had, however, she didn't want to stay in her room by herself; she kept thinking about the moment when she felt the branch break. She stared up at the sunny ceiling a moment before crawling out of bed and crossing her room to the door that connected her to Harry. He was already lying down so she made her way over quickly and slid in besides him.

"Hey Mia," he whispered, already half-asleep.

"Hey Jamie. Can I stay with you? I don't want to be alone," she whispered back.

" 'Course," he said before throwing his arm over her. She closed her eyes and cuddled into him before she fell fast asleep. Which is how Sirius found them several hours later.

* * *

**13 July, 1991**

"Mia, get up! We're late for training!"

She opened her eyes to see her brother scrambling out of bed. _'Why's Harry in my bed?'_ she thought idly before yesterday's events slammed into her. _'Right. The tree thing,'._ She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before looking across Harry's room to the clock that hung next to his desk.

"Oh! Oh he's going to make us run the while three hours!" she said as she leaped out of bed, legs still shaky from sleep. It was already a quarter past six and the last time they had been this late her legs had ached for _days_ afterward.

"I know, I know! Dad must have let us sleep through lunch _and_ dinner, I'm starving. Just hurry and get dressed!" he said as he threw open his closet and pulled on the first t-shirt he saw. He was grabbing his shorts and trainers by the time Mia made it into her room and closed the door behind her.

Her head still ached somewhat but she felt much better than she had yesterday. She scurried to her closet and threw on an old t-shirt and some shorts before running a brush quickly threw her hair and putting it up in a pony. She grabbed her black trainers from under her bed and started pulling them on she ran out of the door. She made it to the first-floor landing where Harry was waiting for her with a muffin in hand.

"Nicked some muffins from Dessy. If I don't eat something I might pass out," he said, his mouth half-full of blueberry muffin. He handed her a banana-nut one before turning to walk towards the family room. Mia quickly took a large bite, lengthening her stride to keep up with him.

"Good morning sleepy-heads. I was just about to go looking for your dad to ask where you were. You're late. You know what that means." Mr. Trent said with an evil grin from where he leaned against the side of the Manor.

"You're going to give us an alarm clock?" asked Mia hopefully.

Mr. Trent threw back his head and laughed. "No. It means we're doing a 12-mile run through the woods. And some more katas. Good try though," he said with a wink.

"Tell you what, though," he said as he began to jog towards the woods, "If we beat our previous time, we'll start sparring today!"

Harry nearly choked on his muffin at that. "You heard him Mia! Move!" he said as he set the rest of his muffin down on the patio table. Mia straightened out from her stretch and looked longingly at her half-eaten muffin before taking off after her brother. Sparring _did_ sound rather fun.

' _Guess there's always next week,'_ Mia thought as she watched Harry trip and clutch his half. He had forgotten to stretch again in his hurry to catch up with their trainer. And they still had a little over four miles to go.

"You okay Jamie?" she puffed out as she came to a stop. Harry just winced and groaned in reply, getting up to hop on one foot.

"Are we almost there?" he finally asked, massaging his leg.

Mia snorted. "No. Here let me see," she said as she went to kneel in front of him. Harry extended out his leg out and leaned back against one of the trees that bordered the trail. She had been planning on massaging out the cramp but just as her fingers touched his leg, they threw off a spark making Mia fall back in surprise.

"Ah!" Harry yelped as he jumped away from here. "What was _that?"_ he asked as he rubbed his leg furiously.

"I-I'm not sure," she replied wide eyed as Mr. Trent rounded the bend in the trail.

"C'mon guys we're almost there, don't give up on me now. We're making great time!" he said as he jogged over to them. "You alright Mia?" he asked once he saw her on the ground.

"She was just retying her trainers. Shoelaces got loose," replied Harry without hesitating. His father had made it very clear that no one was to know when things like these happened.

"Okay. Hurry up and finish so we can get going again. And please let me know when you stop. If I lose you in these woods your father and uncle would kill me."

As they made their way back to the house, the sparks were all Mia could think about. That made two _incidents_ in two days and she was worried. She was trying to think of ways to get out of the rest of their session as they came out of the woods and started over the pitch. She was getting ready to claim spontaneous nausea when her father came into view. He was waiting for them outside of the studio they used to train with Mr. Trent. He had paid for one of the garages to be converted into a fully equipped dojo shortly after they had started their lesson; something about not needing three garages to keep a motorcycle and two cars.

"Devan, I'm going to need to cut this one short. Something's come up," he told their trainer apologetically.

"Don't worry about it Sirius. Okay you two, we'll have to put a hold on sparring until Wednesday. Don't go slacking though; I still expect you to spend some time working on those katas before then," he told them with a smile as he walked inside.

"Morning Devan. Here, I'll walk you out," they heard their uncle call from inside.

Mia and Harry stood outside with their father in silence. Harry kept glancing back and forth between their father and his half-eaten muffin that was on the table. Before he could make a go at it, though, their uncle was back.

"Right then," he said with a clap. "He's gone. The elves have already put out breakfast so we might as well go sit down and talk as we eat."

Their father had been strangely quiet since he had come outside and it was making both siblings nervous. She suspected they were about to get scolded for the tree incident from yesterday since they had slept through the rest of the day after it happened.

"Are we expecting company?" asked Mia carefully once she noticed he was in full "Lord Black" dress: pressed trousers and a dress shirt under elegant blue dress robes. She only ever saw him out of his Muggle jeans and t-shirt if they were having important guests or he was planning a trip to the Ministry.

Her father gave her a long look before finally replying. "No. I just got done with a floo call. In light of recent events I though it…prudent to postpone our business trip to Albania—"

"Papa I'm fine!"

"—until you two are at school," he finished loudly, talking over her.

"What your father's trying to say is that what happened yesterday has us concerned, sweetheart," Uncle Remus interceded as he shot her father a look. "We've decided that its's best to cancel the remainder of your lessons with Cissy. We'll be focusing on trying to get a hold of these new talents of yours," he said with a smile.

Harry looked positively delirious with happiness at this pronouncement. "You should have fallen out of a tree sooner," he said cheerfully.

Her uncle and father obviously heard the comment but chose to ignore it for the time being. Mia, however, threw him a look so cold it was a wonder he didn't freeze in his seat.

"Instead," her father continued from where her uncle left off as he poured cream in his coffee, "for the rest of the summer we will be spending more time with your wandless magic lessons. You will also begin to see Devan on Mondays for a two hour training session."

"Still better than dancing and history lessons," chirped Harry as he grabbed another muffin.

Mia, meanwhile, had been quietly eating her cereal as she deliberated whether she should tell them what happened in the forest. _'Might as well. Bound to happen again anyway,'_

She finally looked up at her father. "I healed Jamie again. While we were on our run, I mean". Harry shot her a confused look having thought they were keeping that quiet for now.

Sirius and Remus, on the other hand, paled at her words. "Did Devan see?" asked her father quickly.

"No. We stopped because I got a cramp and he didn't notice. Mia had her back to him when it happened, anyway," Harry jumped in.

"Start from the beginning. Tell us what happened _exactly_ " her uncle said intently.

Mia took a sip from her orange juice before answering. "Jamie forgot to stretch again before our run so he got a cramp in his leg. I knelt to help him but before I could do anything but touch him my hand sort of…sparked at him,"

"Did it hurt? Did you feel tired afterward?" her father asked.

"What? Oh no. No, I felt fine. I think it hurt Jamie though," she said as she threw her brother another apologetic look.

"No, it didn't hurt really. It was just sudden—it felt like she shocked me. It made my leg feel really warm for a moment but then my cramp was gone," Harry explained with a shrug.

"Fascinating," Remus murmured. "Your magic seems to be particularly attuned to your brother," he said almost absently.

"Yes, well, that brings us to the second topic at hand. Both of you are forbidden from flying unless myself, your uncle, or one of the elves is with you," he said a tone that dared them to protest. The siblings wisely kept quiet.

"Excellent. Now that that's been settled," he said as he pulled out his pocket watch. "Let's see, it is…8:24 right now. You two need to be bathed, dressed, and waiting in the receiving room within the hour." With that he set down his napkin before walking out of the room.

"What? Where are we going?" she turned to ask her uncle.

"Haven't the foggiest," he said with a smirk before he got up to follow her father out.

"Where do you think we're going?" she asked her brother. Harry just shoved the rest of his muffin into his mouth and shrugged.

"Where did I leave them?" Mia muttered to herself as she bent to look under her bed. She was almost ready to go: she was wearing the green sundress her Aunt Cissy had gotten for her during their last "Witches Only Day" and she had even attempted to braid her hair. She just needed to find those darn ballet flats.

"Tilly!" she finally called in frustration.

_Crack._ "What can Tilly do for Miss?" she said from her spot her bed.

"Tilly have you seen my black ballet flats? I can't find them," she asked as she went to look in her closet. Again.

"Oh, Tilly is sorry young Miss," she said as her ears went flat against her head. "Tilly could only find one yesterday after you bathed,"

_'Stupid Jamie,'_ she said suddenly remembering the shoe she lost in the lake.

"That's alright Tilly. I'll just wear some sandals. Thank you." She ran into her closet and pulled on her white sandals before running down the stairs. When she saw Jamie already standing there she went and poked him. Hard.

"You owe me a pair of black ballet flats," she told him annoyed.

"Ow! What? Why?" he asked bewildered.

"Because you made me lose one in the lake!" she snapped.

"Ah an argument between my children. Music to my ears," her dad said, walking in from the hall that led to the library. He had dressed down to his usual jeans again. "You know, Princess," he said as he got a good look at her dress, "I think your aunt is trying to tell us something with her continued color theme in her gifts to you. Ready to go then?"

"Just waiting for Uncle Remus," replied Harry, still rubbing his ribs. When Mia saw the dirty look he threw her way she stuck her tongue out at him. It served him right.

"MOONY MOVE YOUR FURRY HIDE," bellowed Sirius suddenly making his children jump.

"Alright, alright. Let's go," Remus said as he jogged down the stairs. Mia turned to head to the floo when she felt her father redirect her towards the front door.

"Wrong way little fox."

"We're not using the floo?" "Are we apparating then?" asked the siblings at the same time.

"No to both. We are traveling in good old Martha," he said, referring to their 1960 Rolls Royce. Her father loved that car almost as much as his motorcycle.

"We're going to a Muggle city?" asked Mia in surprise. He usually told them before hand when they were going on a trip into the Muggle world.

"That we are, love. Thought we could use a day out," he said cheerfully.

They ended up driving into Muggle London and spent the rest of the day driving around. They visiting a bookshop for a few hours, where Harry immediately went to look at the football section. He was almost as obsessed with the sport as he was with Quidditch. As Mia picked up _A Tale of Two Cities_ and went to sit next to her brother in the back of the shop she could feel herself relaxing for the first time since she felt that branch break from under her. The rest of the day went by in a happy blur.

* * *

**13 July, 1991**

"Happy birthday loves" their Aunt Cissy said as she bent to give them each a hug. Lord Malfoy stood stoically beside her, giving them a small nod.

"Thank you, Aunt Cissy" they replied simultaneously.

"Oh Mia, you look beautiful. And you look very handsome Harry. And so grown! Can't believe you'll be off to school soon with Draco" she told them with a smile. As his parents moved away to mingle with the Ministry officials and their father's business partners, Draco finally stepped up.

"I'm surprised the Weasleys are here," he told them as he gave Mia a kiss on the cheek.

"Hmm? Oh, last minute trip to visit Charlie in Romania," she replied absently. She'd been feeling progressively stranger as more people arrived and she was having trouble concentrating.

"At least we know it's safe to eat the cake," he said looking relieved.

Harry snorted the pumpkin juice he'd been drinking and started coughing. Mia rolled her eyes and patted her brother on the back.

"You have to admit that seeing Madame Bones covered in blue frosting after it exploded was pretty brilliant," he said grinning once he recovered.

"Seeing Father's look of horror was better," Draco said with a snicker.

" _Just look at those eyes of hers. They're just not natural,"_ they heard a witch whisper quite loudly near them. Harry and Draco glared over to them so fiercely, it was a wonder the witches were still standing. Harry put his arm around his sister and was about to go looking for their father when she put a hand on his arm.

"Don't," she said quietly.

"Mia, they can't just say that about you!" "We should tell Uncle Sirius!", both boys whispered back adamantly.

"No, it's okay. It's a party. He'll just get angry. Besides, they're not wrong," she said with a forced smile.

"Mia—"

"No, Jamie. I'm fine. I'm going to go see if I can sneak us some cake from Nan alright?" Before either boy could say anything else she walked away quickly. She headed towards the kitchen in case the boys were watching her, but once she made it inside she made straight for the side door that led outside.

"Is Miss alright?" she heard Dox call suddenly.

"Dox! Nan! I-I didn't see you there," she said startled as she turned to look behind her. The elves were in the middle of levitating platters with drinks back out to guests. Dox was the oldest elf Mia had ever seen. He was hunched with age and his big ears drooped into his bulging brown eyes that had filmed over with white. He didn't spend much time indoors as he oversaw the grounds and Mia still didn't know how he could see well enough to trim the bushes and the roses. Nan was the complete opposite. She was Tilly's older sister and her total opposite. Where Tilly could chatter on for days, Nan rarely talked. Her father said it was because Nan was not treated kindly by his uncle, who used to be Nan's Master before he died. She made delicious biscuits though.

"Is Miss alright?" repeated Dox.

"What? Oh, sorry. Yes, I'm fine, I'm just going for a little walk. It got a bit warm in there and it's making my head hurt." And it wasn't a complete lie. She was still feeling strange.

Nan looked at her closely before giving a nod and turning to walk back out to the party. Dox looked at Mia a moment longer before following suit.

' _Oh, thank Merlin. I need to get out right now,'_ she thought a bit desperately.

Mia had never liked big crowds; people _always_ stared. Every year, at every event her father held, people would either stare at her the entire night or avoid looking directly at her eyes—all while they whispered to each other about where she came from. They always made sure to do so out of her father's hearing, of course. Her aunt and uncle's too, for that matter. She thought she'd gotten used to it but tonight she had become …overwhelmed. Like she couldn't breathe properly. She had a strong suspicion that she knew why she was feeling this way—she just hoped she was wrong. Either way, she needed to get away from it for a bit. Which is how she found herself sitting on a bench outside, hidden away behind the rose bushes Dox cared for so diligently.

"People will wonder why one of the guests of honor is missing, you know," she heard a few minutes later.

"Sorry Papa," she blushed at being found out. "I'll head back," she said contritely.

"It's okay, sit with me for a moment. Nan said you didn't look well, what's wrong?" he asked concerned as he came to sit beside her.

She was quiet for a long time before she answered. "I think I could feel it," she finally said in a soft voice.

"It?"

"Their magic," she whispered. "I think I could feel their magick. It was pressing in on me. It felt like a big blanket I couldn't get out of. Made my head feel a bit foggy. Papa what's wrong with me? Why do these things keep happening?" she asked. When she turned to look at him her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

Sirius felt his heart break a little to hear the naked fear in her voice. It was all happening too fast. They had thought she wouldn't start to come into her powers for a few more years! "Absolutely nothing is wrong with you, love. You're just a very special witch; you were gifted with magick beyond what others have. I think the event with the tree might have triggered something, loosened your magick maybe" he said as he hugged her to his chest and pressed a kiss to her head.

"But why? I don't want it," she told him as she hugged him back.

"One day you'll know little fox. When you're older. For now, I want to give you something. Thought it best to do this out here," he said as he reached into his dress robes. He pulled out a small blue box with a silver bow. "It came this morning."

Mia hesitated when he handed it to her, turning it this way and that before looking up at his face. "The gifts. They're from her, aren't they? My mother, I mean" she asked him in a small voice. "They didn't have notes before. And she called me 'little fox'. Like you."

Sirius swallowed when her gaze turned sharp; he had forgotten how unnerving her stare could be when she was serious. He doubted denying it would do any good anyway. She had always been too smart, too observant, for her own good. In the end, he settled for a careful nod. Her eyes filled with tears again but this time they spilled down her cheeks.

"Did she not want me?" she asked as she began to cry.

"Of course she did Mia. Oh Princess, your mother loved you more than anything in the world. Never doubt that. It just wasn't safe for you there. She trusted me to love you and protect you because she couldn't. But never doubt that she loved you little fox," he told her as he hugged her tighter. He held her for a few minutes as she continued to cry before she wiped her face and touched her cuff bracelet. She nodded once and turned over the box before opening it.

"Oh. It's beautiful," she whispered awed.

Inside, nestled on a small piece of blue silk, was a beautiful silver necklace. There was a snake coiled around a delicate chain, giving the vague impression of a sphere. It was about the size of a sickle and when Mia went to touch it, it opened its eyes and _moved_. It slithered over its own body and Mia could see a small little bird in the center—a raven. Almost as if it were _protecting_ it. When she lifted the necklace out and put it over her head, the snake flicked out its tongue against her neck before settling once more right under her collarbone. She was about to close the box when she saw a note inside.

_Wear this proudly in the halls of Hogwarts._

_May it help protect you my little fox._

Her father had stayed quiet throughout the whole thing and, when she looked up, he had a thoughtful expression as he stared at the snake.

"Will you ever tell me about her?" she asked him softly as her hand went down to touch her cuff bracelet.

"One day, pup. One day. For now, just know she's the bravest and strongest woman I have ever known" he said. He gave her a final kiss on her forehead before wiping the remainder of the tears from her cheeks. "Now come on. We have a party to get back to."

 

* * *

*****Flashback*****

" _Everything is set. I won't ask if you're sure about this. It's taken too much to bloody well plan out for you to back out now," he said as he looked out at the families in the park. Her house-elf had placed a ward around the bench, like a one-way mirror. Despite his tone, Cassie knew he was worried. They had met halfway between St. Briavels and his home in Cokeworth, but it was still a big risk to be out together. The only reason she was able to get away was because her father was away with the Dark Lord and her mother had gone to visit her sister until tomorrow. Thankfully, she had taken Bella as well._

" _Don't think I could ever do this without you," she said, taking his hand._

" _Of course not," he said with a sniff. Then he sighed and laced their fingers together. "I will miss you. You're leaving me to deal with your idiot cousin and those friends of his. But I'd rather miss you than see you tied to him," he told her quietly._

" _I know Sirius is an arse to you, but he really isn't a bad person. A bit impulsive perhaps. But I don't think he can help himself. You represent everything he has tried to run away from. His friends just follow his questionable lead. It doesn't help that Potter thinks you're after his 'girl', of course." He snorted at that and she leaned her head on his shoulder. It was hard enough to leave Andy and Sirius behind, but he had been her friend since their first night in Hogwarts. He had supported her when she started to question her upbringing and had never turned his back on her. Of course, since she had begun to be recruited, she had distanced herself in public so as not paint a target on his back. Yet, here he was now: risking life and limb for her. Again._

" _I want you to tell them you've changed your mind. You've done enough. I'll be gone soon and there's no reason to go forward with this mad plan of yours," she told him fiercely as she turned her body on the bench to look at him._

_He just snorted as he continued to watch the children out on the playground. "You know better than that. There is no changing your mind or turning back from what I have walked in to. You are assuming they will not suspect what you've done but he will always look for signs that you lived. He desires your power too much to simply accept you're your death blindly. No, I need to be able to warn you. It is my decision to make, much like it was yours to offer yourself up like a bloody sacrificial lamb," he said finally turning to scowl at her._

" _Don't you start that again. Reggie is_ _thirteen_ _and Walburga offered him up without a second thought. THIRTEEN and they were going to brand him like…like cattle!" she seethed before she took a breath. She went back to resting her head on his shoulder and they were quiet for a few minutes. "When?" she finally asked him in a soft voice._

" _I will receive the mark and be officially welcomed to his ranks shortly after I reach my majority. So far I am simply a recruit, proving my loyalty and worthiness to the cause" he replied in a flat voice. He was quiet a moment before he continued._

" _We haven't much time before you're missed. Here's the potion," he said as he pulled out a small vial filled with a thick gray substance from the pocket of his trousers. "It took months of hard work and countless trials but I think it will work. Just add your hair before you inject it into the body—it's the only way to administer. So far it_ _appears_ _to be permanent, mind I only had three weeks to observe the results," he said sourly. It was clear he was unhappy with the time constraint._

" _The money you gave me was more than enough to make the proper arrangements. I was also able to get the documents you will need from my dodgey neighbor. Your new name will be Emma Black and I changed your age to 18. That's who your fellow knows you as anyway, so I thought it best to not complicate things unnecessarily. Besides, it would look suspicious for a minor to be on their own. I'll leave them hidden beneath the oak tree on the east wall. I also procured the hair from one of the guards and will be in place to make sure the body is discovered after you leave. He 'bested' me in a game of cards and I will be assuming his identity to take over his shift. The bloody idiot," he said in derision. "Oh and here," he said as reached up his sleeve. "I got it in the dark alley, so it isn't registered. You'll need it after you snap your own," he told her as he removed a second wand holster from his arm._

_She took the wand out and brought it up to examine it closely. "I haven't seen an ebony wand in a while. Good for combative magick, yes? What's the core?"_

" _Yes. Dragon heartstring core. Eleven inches. Bendy. I was told it was the most likely to adapt to a new owner," he told her as he secured the holster over her own arm. She put the wand away and immediately cast a wandless disillusionment charm over it. It would have to do until she got home._

" _I have one more thing for you. I won't know what you look like after you perform your glamour. No, don't tell me; it's safer this way." He held up a hand to keep her from speaking. It had been an ongoing debate since she had told him her plan. "That does not mean, however, that you cannot come to me should you ever need me. I found this in our Prince vault; I just made a few adjustments." With that he pulled out a delicate snake necklace. When he touched it, it uncoiled to reveal a raven nestled in its center. "You will always find refuge with me. Remember that," he said as he put it in her palm._

_She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It's beautiful. You've thought of everything," she told him with a smile._

" _Hardly. Just carried your ridiculous plan through. Right, I best get going, love. My train will leave soon. Not everyone has a loyal house-elf for transportation," he said dryly as he used their still-linked hands to pull her up._

" _Thank you. Please be careful," she said as she hugged him tight._

" _That's rich coming from the girl who blasted the Dark Lord and several of his minions into a wall," he said with a snort._

" _Prat. You know what I mean," she said as a few tears escaped. "You know I love you right?" His eyes softened at her words and he wiped her tears away, as he had done over the years._

" _Yes. And I you, you insufferable witch. Always," he said as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I have to go now. Goodbye."_

_Cassie stood there as he walked away, knowing she would likely never see him again. She was still standing when Nan appeared beside her and offered her hand up to her. Cassie turned to look down the path he had taken once more before grabbing the elf's hand and disappearing back home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop: Diagon Alley!


	8. Step Up, Dearies

 

**15 July, 1991**

"PAPA WAKE UP WE HAVE TO GET GOING." That was all the warning Sirius had before he had the breath knocked right out of him.

"Ooooof," he groaned as he felt an elbow land square in his bollocks.

"Papa you promised we'd go to the Alley today! Wake up!" Mia said as she jumped on his bed. Sirius, however, was too busy trying to remember how to breathe to reply.

"Princess," he finally managed to rasp out. "Why don't you go get ready."

"Fine but you have to get up," she warned him before she scrambled off his bed and across the hall. Moony was more than likely about to receive the same treatment he had been subjected to. As soon as she had closed the door behind her he curled up on his side and waited for the pain-induced nausea to subside.

"MIA STOP THAT" he soon heard Moony growling at the little witch. He would have laughed but he was too busy trying to make sure he hadn't suffered permanent damage from his daughter's enthusiastic wake-up call. When he finally sat up, he happened to glance at the clock on the wall and let out a string of curses.

8:23 a.m. He had slept a grand total of 5 hours since he had been up late with Moony, trying to reschedule their trip to Albania.

' _That's it. I'm locking my door before bed. It's just not bloody worth it"_

"Uncle Remus you have to get up. We have to go to Diagon Alley!" she insisted when her uncle just pulled the covers over his bed and growled.

"Go wake up your brother," was the only muffled reply she got.

"We've been awake for _ages._ We had training with Mr. Travers. Jamie's already taking a shower. I told him I'd come wake you both. _Get_ _up,"_ she said as she tried to wrestle the covers from her uncle. When he didn't budge, Mia let out a big huff.

' _This obviously isn't going to work,'_ she thought to herself.

She stopped trying to take the covers away from him and instead sat down on the floor next to his bed. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her head on them, peeking up at her uncle. Once he realized the assault had stopped he gingerly lowered the covers. As soon as Mia saw his head lift she forced her eyes to wide open until they filled with tears. In her experience, when her father or uncle were being difficult, tears would do the trick. Sure enough, as soon as her uncle saw her watery eyes he jumped out of bed to come sit next to her.

"Alright, I'm up, see? I'm sorry sweetheart, I know you're excited to go to the alley. I'll get ready quickly so we can have a breakfast before we go, yeah?" he said with guilt dripping from every word.

Mia sniffled a few times for effect before nodding. "Okay. I'm going to go shower. Thank you, Uncle Remus." Mia quickly got up and went to exit the room when she saw her father standing in the doorway. She bounced over and gave him a hug before heading to her room. When Sirius heard her door close he started shaking with laughter.

"You realize she just played you beautifully, right?" he asked Remus as the man stood up and headed to his closet.

"What?" Sirius heard him call.

"Mia, mate. I saw the whole thing—fake tears and all. It was a bit frightening to see her work, actually. Is that how she looks when she does it to me? Maybe Raven was right about her going to the snakes." He mused out loud. He wasn't exactly happy at the prospect, but he had come to terms with it.

Remus just snorted as he exited the closet in some muggle jeans and a plan gray t-shirt. "I've known Mia would be a snake since she sweet talked me into giving her my Honeydukes chocolates on her third day here. I didn't even realize what I'd done until she ran out of the room with them." He stared at his friend for a moment before he continued. "You realize, of course, that there's also a strong chance that she won't be the only one sorted into Slytherin," he said as he scrutinized Sirius's expression.

" 'Course I do. Draco's basically been raised to go into that House."

"No Pads. I meant Harry," he said carefully.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. There's no way he'll end up a snake. James and Lily were both Gryffs. _We_ were both Gryffs," he said immediately.

"I don't think that will matter when it's time. He is extremely close to Mia, he's more than a little cunning, and he's very protective of her. Not to mention that she will be sorted first and he will be opposed to being separated from her. He may _ask_ to be placed in Slytherin. I just think it's something you need to consider and be prepared for. Make sure he knows it won't make a difference to you where he ends up."

When Mia returned to her room, she had rushed to her bathroom and taken the quickest shower of her life. Now, though, she stood I her closet, deliberating what to wear. They would be out in public, which meant a lot of people would be staring at her—staring at Lord Black's mysterious child. She needed to look perfect since she didn't want to give them another reason to whisper about her in corners. Besides, Aunt Cissy had said a Lady should always dress as though she expected her picture to be taken while out in public. She looked around, trying to find her most "Black-heir appropriate" clothes before finally deciding on a light black dress and red ballet flats to wear with her white robes.

"Tilly!" she called as she came out of her closet.

_Crack_. "What can Tilly do for young Miss?"

"Tilly, can you braid my hair please? I've tried doing it myself but I'm rubbish at it. I was going to leave it down but it'll be hot while we're walking around Diagon Alley and I don't want to get all sweaty," she said with a wrinkled nose.

"Of course, Miss. Tilly will has it done in no time." With that she stepped on top of vanity chair and started braiding a red ribbon into her hair. "If young Miss wants, Tilly can teach yous how to braid before you goes to Hogwarts," offered the elf as she quickly finished.

"Oh, that would be lovely Tilly! Thank you. I'm sure it will come in handy for when I have to do spellwork and work on Potions or in the greenhouse," she said with a wide happy smile.

"Not a problem Miss! Does the Miss need anything else?"

"No Tilly, that's all. Thank you. I'll be down for breakfast in a bit." Tilly nodded once before disappearing once more with a _crack._

' _Better check on Jamie and make sure he didn't fall asleep in the shower again,'_ she thought as she headed towards the connecting door.

"Jamie, are you ready? We need to get down to breakfast so we can get to the alley early. I don't want to be there when it's crowded," she said as she went to sit on his unmade bed. Her father didn't let the elves clean their rooms because he thought they needed to have some responsibility. They _supposed_ to help take out the rubbish and keep their bathrooms tidy as well, but Harry never seemed to get around to his bed.

"Nearly, I just can't find my black trainers. The clean ones," he called from inside his closet before shoes started flying out. "Ah! Found you. Knew you were in here" she heard him say.

Mia just rolled her eyes. He'd have to clean up the mess later and then he'd be complaining about it all afternoon when they returned home. He was too predictable.

"Great Jamie, let's go then." He came out wearing some khaki shorts and a green short-sleeve button-button down. He pulled on some light gray robes over it and was about to walk out the door when Mia called him back.

"What? I'm ready! I thought you wanted to leave?" he asked confused.

"Jamie, your hair is horrid. You let it dry without combing it again. Here, let's go into the bathroom so I can fix it."

Once she had managed to tame his hair, more or less, they finally headed down to breakfast. By the time they entered the dining room, her father and uncle were already eating.

"For someone who went around waking us up rather aggressively, we thought you would have beaten us down here," her father said in amusement.

"She was waiting for me to finish getting ready," Harry told them sheepishly.

"Ah, such a diligent sister. Too bad she's not nearly as nice to _us,"_ grumbled their uncle as he picked up his tea. If they expected Mia to feel embarrassed, they were sorely disappointed. She just gave them a beatific smile before she sat down to eat her cereal.

"I didn't have to drag _him_ out of bed. He can manage on his own."

"You hear that Pads? We need to be _managed_ ," Remus called out with a laugh.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast Moony. The sooner she's in Diagon Alley, the easier _our_ lives will be," he said as he threw a piece of toast at his friend. That only made him laugh harder.

It was ten in the morning by the time her uncle Side-Alonged her into the alley's apparition point. They quickly moved out of the way and went to stand in the alley proper to clear the way for other people arriving. No matter how many times Mia came to Diagon Alley, she was never _not_ amazed by the sheer magick of it. Lately, though, everything—every single shop—seemed to shimmer with power and magick. She knew it was another quirk manifesting itself and lamented knowing her family wasn't able to see the alley the same was she did now. She was snapped out of her thoughts when her father arrived with Harry.

"Right then. We'll head to Flourish and Blotts first to pick up your books. You brought your lists?" he turned to ask his children.

"Uhhhhhh," was all Harry was able to say as he started to blush.

"I have them. I grabbed yours off your bedside table before we left Jamie," she reassured her brother. Harry threw her a grateful smile and gave her a quick peck to her cheek.

"Favorite sister ever," he said, causing her to roll her eyes.

Sirius just shook his head. "C'mon let's get a move on. We all know how much Mia hates crowds so let's try to be done by lunchtime."

As soon as they entered the bookstore, Mia's fingers were itching to pick up every volume in sight. She restrained herself, however, and instead grabbed Harry to go find their school books. She knew this store from top to bottom and could probably find them all faster than the shop assistants.

"Slow down, Mia!" whined Harry as he tried to keep up with her.

"Oh hush. Here, you read me the books and I'll search them up," she ordered as she handed him one of the lists. He sighed but didn't protest.

"Okay. First one is…. _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1_ by Miranda Goshawk." And so it went as they grabbed two copies of all 8 books. At one point they had waved down their father and delegated him their carrier; he was highly amused by the whole thing and loved to watch how harried the employees became as Mia bossed them around. When they finally finished, the adolescent behind the counter looked extremely relieved and all but pushed them out the door.

"Padfoot, I get the sense they don't have much experience with commanding eleven-year-old girls," Remus said as they walked out. He had been looking at some Defense texts before he abandoned them in favor of watching Mia scold the shop assistant for having books misplaced.

"I think I have to agree with you on that one Moony," he said and barked out a laugh.

"Honestly. It's their job to shelf the books. The least they could do is make sure it's done _properly_ ," said Mia with a sniff.

"I think Pince will like her," Remus said with a laugh.

"Where are we going next dad?" Harry asked as he stared at Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"We have to stop by Madam Malkin's to get you fitted for school robes," he said as he guided them further into the alley. When they walked into the deceptively small-looking shop, they heard a little bell tinkle. Inside, the room look three times as big and was filled with bolts of every imaginable fabric type, with premade robes levitating over them in display.

"Welcome to Madam Malkin's! What can I help you with? Oh, good morning Lord Black" called out the witch as she turned to look at her new customers.

"Good morning, Miss Malkin. It's been awhile since we've been by to see you," replied Sirius with a flirtatious smile as he bent to kiss her hand. Rosalie Malkin was Madam Malkin's _very_ beautiful daughter that had inherited the business after her passing. It also happened that Sirius was completely smitten with her. She was a bigger witch that was curvy in all the right places, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. What he liked about her, however, was that she was one of the few witches that had never thrown herself at him and had always treated him with polite indifference. He never missed an opportunity to talk up the witch when he was in here; he was still hoping she'd take him up on that drink offer.

For all his charm, however, Rosalie merely lifter a brow and gave him an even stare. Instead she withdrew her hand and bustled over to the children she saw standing beside him.

"Right then, dearies. What can I help you with? No, wait don't tell me. I'm thinking you're in to get fitted for your Hogwarts robes, hmm? I see Mister Lupin carrying your bags from Flourish. Here let's go to the back so I can measure you both." And with that she whisked the children away without another look back.

"Give it up Pads. I don't think she's interested," Remus said with a chuckle.

"No, dear Moony. I'm holding out hope yet. Rosie's worth the wait. Besides, have you noticed that while she's never accepted my offer to dinner or a drink, she's never told be to bugger off either?" he said proudly. Remus just shook his head and went to follow after the pups. They stood back as she went about her work.

"Well Miss Mia, you're all done. You can step down now, dearie. I'll add a few inches to the robes so we can let them out as you grow. In my experience, the girls' robes usually last nicely and you should be able to use them next year as well," she said as she finished writing down her measurements. Her floating measuring tape stood by, ready for its next target.

"Right then, Mr. Potter. Why don't you step up now, dearie. Back straight and arms out like you saw your sister. Excellent. Now, I'll do the same to your robes but I don't think it'll do too much good. You boys always shoot up too soon and it's hard to predict how much you'll grow. And you're probably not nearly as careful as your sister here, am I right?" she asked him with a raised brow.

"No, ma'am, I can't say that I am," he said with a wide smile, making her chuckle.

"Oh, you're trouble, aren't you? Right, we're done with you as well. You can step down now. Oh, just slap it away dear. He likes to play," she told him as her measuring tape tried to tickle his ribs.

"I'll have your three sets of robes ready in a few hours. I'm a bit behind at the moment seeing as all the students have been trickling in since the letters went out. Now then, will they be needing a winter cloak as well?" she asked as she finally turned back to their father.

"Yes. I doubt their cloaks from last year will fit. Better make it four sets of robes and two winter cloaks each, though. My children seem to have a terrible habit of getting into situations that usually results in torn clothing."

"I see," she said as she turned to look at the innocent looks on the children's faces. "Well, I can have everything ready after lunch. Or I can have it delivered, if that's more convenient for you Lord Black," she said over her shoulder as she started heading back to the front of the shop as they heard the bell tinkle again.

"No, no. I'll stop by after lunch. It's no trouble, real—" he was trying to say before he heard a voice that made his skin crawl.

"Sirius!" he heard a voice call with an obnoxious girlish giggle.

"Ah. Hello Miss Selwyn. Fancy meeting you here," he said in the coolest tone the children had ever heard. It made Mia look over to the woman that had walked in with a young girl at her side more closely. She was pretty enough with her strawberry blond hair pinned up and her pristine blue robes, but there was something about her she immediately distrusted. Her eyes looked cold and assessing as she looked at her father and it made Mia take a step closer to him.

"Oh, Sirius you know you can call me Georgette. We've known each other long enough," she replied with a flirtatious smile, batting her lashes at him. "I've just brought my niece to get her robes as my brother was unavailable. Of course, we're buying them at Twilfitt and Tatting's but I saw you through the window and I just had to stop and say hello. Thought perhaps I'd support this….darling establishment," she said as she looked around. It was obvious she was less than impressed with what she saw and Miss Malkin's frowned in displeasure. Her father, however, kept an impassive face and turned back to Miss Malkin.

"Yes, well we were just on our way out. A pleasure to see you again Rosie, as always," he said as he bent to kiss her hand again before turning back to the new woman. "Miss Selwyn. If you'll excuse us," he said as he herded his children and friend outside. When Mia turned back she saw Miss Selwyn's face was flushed in anger at being snubbed and Miss Malkin looked very pleased.

"Papa who was that?" Mia asked as the door closed behind them.

"Just someone I used to know in school, love. C'mon we best get a move on, we still have quite a few shops we must get to. Why don't we head to Scribbulus to get you both some parchment and quills. We can stop by Slug & Jiggers on the way back to get your potion supplies," he told her, effectively distracting her with a promise of re-stocking the mini-potions set Remus had gotten her last Christmas. She nodded excitedly before grabbing Harry's hand and running ahead to the Writing Instruments shop.

" _Oh Sirius please call me Georgette,_ " Remus said in a ridiculous high-pitched voice as soon as the children were out hearing, batting his eyelashes at his friend.

"Oh, shut it. Merlin's saggy tits but I hate that woman. She acts like she didn't spend our entire time at Hogwarts ignoring me because I wasn't in my parents' good graces. Or like she wasn't the one that went around spreading that rumor that I shagged every bird in the Quidditch teams," he said annoyed.

Remus nodded his head understandingly. "That was a rather nasty thing to say. You never shagged Katrina Taylor, she hated you."

"Oh, bugger off. It's Selwyn's fault everyone thinks I was a slag in school," he grumbled.

"Sirius. You _were_ a slag. You went a bit crazy there in sixth year, mate. You even slept with _Yvette._ Not to mention almost half the girls in our year," Remus said laughing.

"Yes, well. She made it worse," he insisted. Sirius was still pouting when they walked into the Writing Instruments shop.

"Mia, they're just _quills_. Just get some and _let's go_. I want to see if we can stop by the Quidditch shop—we need some polish for our brooms. Getting stuck in the tree did a number on them," Harry whined at her not even two minutes after they walked inside.

"And whose fault is that?" she snapped as she walked way from him. She would not be rushed about this. She would have to use these quills all term and she didn't want them breaking in the middle of taking notes. She walked around the shop, navigating between the shelves full of ink bottles and bundles of quills. All the quills at the front of the shop were quite pretty—flashy ostrich or peacock—but her uncle had once told her that the flashier the quill, the more fragile. So she kept turning corners until she reached the back wall; the quills back here were sturdier, if not as pretty. She grabbed a handful of Eagle Feathered quills and headed over to grab some ink when she bumped into someone as she rounded the corner. Her quills went flying and she knocked her knee on a shelf as she went tumbling down.

' _Ow. That's going to bruise for sure,'_ she lamented silently as she picked herself up. When she looked down she noticed Neville on the floor surrounded by parchment sheets.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mia! I was carrying this big stack of parchment and I didn't see you. Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine Neville. Here, I'll help with that," she said as she bent to help him gather his things.

"Are you getting all your supplies too then?" he asked her once they had managed to clear up the floor.

"Yes. I'm here with my family. Harry's probably looking at the invisible ink," she said with an eye roll. "Have you finished all your shopping yet? Got your wand?" she asked excitedly.

"No, we still have to get my robes. And I…uh won't be getting a wand. Gram's giving me my dad's old one. She's gone to get my potion supplies right now. Doesn't trust me around all those glass bottles. Says I'll end up breaking something," he said with forced smile but Mia frowned. She didn't like how his grandmother treated him. He wasn't the most graceful but he was kind and intelligent and he deserved his own wand. He was the Longbottom heir, after all.

"Hmmm. Well I best be going. You should ask and see if you can come spend some time at the Manor before we leave for school," she told him impulsively as they walked over to the ink bottles.

"What, really?" he asked a bit surprised. He had only ever visited when his Gram could accompany him.

"Sure," she said as she picked up a purple bottle before putting it back. "We convinced Papa to let us have a camp out on the grounds. Draco will be coming, you should too," she told him earnestly. She had always liked the sweet boy who wouldn't tease her for her books or push her into the lake as children.

"Oh, I don't know Mia. I don't think your cousin likes me much," he said looking doubtful.

"Draco can just be a bit full of himself sometimes, don't mind him. I'll keep him check," she promised him with a smile that made Neville a bit nervous on the boy's behalf.

"Well, okay. I'll ask Gram," he finally agreed. He didn't sound very optimistic at that prospect.

"No, let Papa ask. She's less likely to refuse him. We're having the camp out a week before we leave for Hogwarts." she told him with a smile. She put the quills in her pocket and picked up two plain black ink bottles before they headed to the till.

"Neville! Good to see you. Is Augusta with you?" Remus asked as he spotted the boy next to Mia.

"Uh, no Mr. Lupin. She's getting my potions supplies," he told him hesitatingly.

"Ah, enjoying your freedom a bit then, eh? And I've told you before lad. You can call me Remus," he told the young boy with a smile. Neville, however, just looked panicked at having to address him by his given name.

"Uncle Remus, I was just telling Neville about our camp out. Where's Papa? I was going to tell him to floo Madam Longbottom to ask if Neville could come over," she asked as she placed her items on the till.

"Oh, uh, he stepped out for a second. I think he saw an old friend walk by. Here, let's pay for your things. Where's Harry?" he asked quickly.

Mia shrugged. "I thought he was with you. I'll go look for him. C'mon Neville, let's go look for my wandering brother."

"Actually, I think I better go find Grams. She wanted to stop by St Mungo's," he said looking down as he stepped away from the till. Remus's face softened and he gave him an understanding smile.

"That's alright. We'll see you for the camp out then. Give your grandmother my regards," he told him gently.

"Yes, sir," he said as he quickly walked out.

' _Poor lad. It can't be easy on him seeing his parents there. The war took too much from the innocent,'_ he thought sadly.

"Mia, love, go get your brother. We still need to get the cauldrons, the potions supplies, your wand, and the telescope."

"Okay," she said with a grin. Then she turned around on the spot and cupped her hands around her mouth. "JAMIE IT'S TIME TO GO!" she yelled, startling a couple behind her. Remus threw Mia an exasperated look before turning at the sounds of scuffling footsteps as Harry came into view carrying a pile of parchment. He had a few ink smudges on his ear but Remus didn't want to ask. He paid for the quills, ink, and parchment before turning back to his charges.

"Right. As effective as that was, you might want tone down the volume a bit, sweetheart" he told her with an amused look.

It took them half an hour to gather their telescopes, scales, and cauldron and were just about to enter the Apothecary when their father found them again.

"Where'd you go dad?" Harry asked curious. His father usually didn't like to leave them when they were out in public. He got twitchy with his wand if someone even stared too long at him or his sister.

"Oh, I had to go Gringotts to take care of some estate business," he said vaguely.

"I thought you went to say hello to an old friend?" Mia asked suspiciously, making Remus wince behind the children's back. He shrugged his shoulders when Sirius threw him a look.

"Right, I did. But on my way back I remembered that Tognok had sent over an owl asking me to see him when I could. Figured I should stop by now since we're here," he told them smoothly.

"How was Tognok?" Remus jumped in.

"As pleasant as a goblin can be," Sirius replied wryly.

"Okay well I'm going to get our potions supplies," Mia finally said. Whatever her father was hiding, she'd find out eventually. He was horrid at keeping secrets.

"Dad can we go to the Quidditch store while she gets her supplies? Mia and I need some broom polish. And we forgot to buy dragon-hide gloves from Madam Malkin's so we can stop by on the way," Harry said slyly. His father was not as subtle as he believed himself to be.

"Yes Sirius. The children need their gloves. Safety and all," Remus said, fighting a laugh.

' _He's definitely ending up with his sister, I don't care what Padfoot says,_ ' he thought as he saw Sirius give in.

"Right then. Mia stay with your uncle…Let's see it's just after twelve right now so let's meet at the Leaky for lunch say…one?" he asked Remus, who just nodded. "Alright. See you in a bit then," he said as he walked away with Harry.

"So. We have an hour to wander by ourselves. What mischief can make, sweetheart?" he asked with a wicked smile. Mia's answering smile was positively blinding.

"I found this potion that causes uncontrollable itchiness when it comes into contact with your skin. I was going to buy the supplies while we were here. I'm thinking of putting some on Jamie's broom. We could always share it with Papa" she said with a straight face.

"Oh, pup. McGonagall is going to have her hands full with you," he said as he started to laugh. He put his arm around her and guided her inside. They had potion ingredients to hunt for.

"I'll get the standard student stores together. You go look for our special ingredients. Just don't go anywhere without me," he told her seriously. She just rolled her eyes and agreed. They went over this any time they stepped out of the Manor. It's like they expected her to run away or something.

Mia wandered around looking at all the strange specimens floating in various liquids. She saw movement in one of the jars and picked it up to investigate. It was filled with wiggling mucus-green _things_ and labeled "Snargaluff Tubers". She carefully placed it down and continued down the aisle, stopping every so often as she saw ingredients that were new to her. She had only been in here once, and it had been with her uncle to pick up some ingredients he had ordered for his Wolfsbane potion.

She finally finished gathering all the ingredients she needed for the Itching Potion, as well as most of the ones needed for the antidote. She was on her way to look for some Safflower when she saw a jar filled with shimmering seeds. When she got closer, however, she saw that they were actually Ashwinder Eggs. She inched her face close to the jar, entranced by the way they seemed to shimmer. She could also feel a wave of warmth radiating from them and, intrigued, reached out a hand to pick it up.

"I would refrain from touching that. Ashwinder Eggs can be quite…volatile," said a deep voice behind her.

Mia whirled around and stared at the man behind her whose deep-set dark brown eyes shone in amusement at having caught her unawares. He was quite tall and lean—which only served to make him look even taller. His nose was somewhat pronounced but was offset by his strong features: defined cheekbones, strong jaw, thick eyebrows, and full lips. He had long, straight dark hair that brushed his shoulder blades, was sporting a neat trim beard, and was dressed in all black.

' _Isn't he burning up in that?'_ was the first thing that popped into her head.

"They're quite comfortable, I assure you," he said with a single arched brow.

"Sorry, didn't mean to say that out loud," she said as a blush seared her face. She didn't usually just blurt out her thoughts. She wasn't _Jamie_.

"Hmmmm. You should put those back in any case. They really are quite unst—"

"Mia, love, everything alright?" her uncle suddenly said as he approached from behind the strange man. Remus was staring at him intently, ready to slip his wand from his arm holster if she showed any signs of distress.

"Yes. This _kind_ sir was just stopping me from getting hurt," she said quickly. She could see a bit of amber shining through her uncle's hazel eyes as Moony perceived a threat to his pack.

"Yes. You really should teach your _pups_ to be more careful Lupin," he said, tuning to face him. His tone had shifted from the warm amusement of seconds ago and into derision.

"Ah. Severus. Fancy running into you," her uncle replied in a flat voice.

"How do you know Uncle Remus?" she asked curiously, looking between the two men. There was obviously some hostility present between them.

"I had the….pleasure of attending school with him and his…friends," the man finally replied as he glanced at her.

"Oh, so you didn't get along. Were they prats to you?" she asked with a straight face.

"Mia!" her uncle said in shock, at the same time the man choked on a startled laugh.

"Aunt Cissy says you and Papa were horrid to people in school because you didn't know when to stop," she told her uncle gravely. Remus could see a sparkle in her gaze that told him she was baiting him on purpose.

"Indeed, they were Miss…?" the man turned to look at her amused.

"Black. Mia Black," she said as she stuck out her hand. He looked at her curiously before shaking it.

"Severus Snape."

"He's the Postions Master at Hogwarts, Mia, and the Head of House of Slytherin" her uncle explained. At that her gaze widened and she threw a smile at the man.

"I'm excited to finally learn Potions properly. All I've had is a book and a miniature potions set that my uncle got me for Christmas," she gushed, uncharacteristically unrestrained.

"We'll have to see how adept you are when I see you in my classroom then" he said dryly. He'd had plenty of children who were enamored by the _idea_ of potion-making. It was a different story when they finally entered his classroom.

"You might see her before then," muttered Remus under his breath.

"What was that?" Severus looked up sharply.

"At the feast I mean. For the Sorting," he replied quickly.

"He means because I'll probably be in Slytherin. He has a bet going with my father" she said matter-of-factly. Remus blushed bright red at her words.

"Yes, well," he muttered as he rubbed his neck.

"How…unexpected to have a potential snake from a house of lions." Severus definitely looked a bit startled at this revelation but more than a little intrigued. "And how does _Lord_ Black feel about this, I wonder," he said as he looked at Remus. His answer, however, came from the young girl in front of him.

"Oh he's fine with it. I think he's been preparing himself for awhile now," she said with a shrug. "I think Aunt Cissy has been hinting at it since I was six. Most of the gifts she gets me are green or silver," she told him with a grin. Severus could feel his lips twitch in response.

Remus was completely dumbfounded by the entire exchange. This was the most civil conversation he'd had with Severus since...well. Since.

' _Then again, he's not actually talking to_ _me_ _is he? He's speaking with my eleven-year-old surrogate niece,'_ he thought to himself.

"Mia, sweetheart. We better get those ingredients you need so we can meet your father and brother for lunch," he finally told her.

"I already have everything in my basket. I just need some Safflower for the antidote." At her words the Severus glanced down at the basket by her feet and his eyebrows shot up. The little witch had all the ingredients for an Itching Potion. If she was already able to produce it without formal education, perhaps she'd be an adequate student after all.

"I should be going as well. I just stopped to stock up my personal stores. I look forward to seeing the outcome of your Sorting," he told her sincerely.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Lupin," he said to her uncle with a decidedly less friendly tone before he swept out of the store. His robes even _billowed._

"You think he does that on purpose? It's quite impressive," Mia told her uncle, causing him to snort.

They had met their father and Harry back at the Leaky Cauldron to have lunch before continuing with their shopping. They had not needed to go back to Madam Malkin's to pick up their robes since her father had done so when he stopped in to buy their dragon-hide gloves. According to Harry, he'd spent a good thirty minutes talking up Miss Malkin before they had left the store—something that amused Mia to no end. They just needed to buy their wands now and they'd be done with everything, so they headed to the wandshop.

When they walked into Ollivander's Mia was almost afraid to talk. It was completely silent and you could see dust dancing in the air, creating a very peaceful atmosphere. The shop was filled with shelves behind the counter that were crammed with wand boxes. The shelves ran as tall as the bookcases in the Manor library, which was more than a little impressive. The shop didn't look nearly big enough from the outside to house all of this—but that was the trend in the alley. She didn't see anyone behind the counter but didn't want to call out for anyone and disturb the quiet.

Her father obviously had none of Mia's reservations and went directly to the counter to ring the bell there. "Mister Ollivander!" he called loudly.

"Young Sirius Black. Fir, Dragon Heartstring, eleven and a half-inches. Reasonably springy," came the reply from the top of one of the rolling ladders. As Mia watched, an elderly man slowly made his way down the steps. She thought he looked a bit like a lion: his long white hair, bushy brows, and beard made it look like he had a white mane. His golden eyes only seemed to add to the illusion.

"Not so young now, sir," her father replied in amusement.

"Pshh. You are a boy still in my eyes. It seems like only yesterday that you were in my shop getting _your_ first wand. How time flies. Now you've brought me your own to find a match for," he said as he turned to look at the children.

"Come now, ladies first" he waved Mia over. As soon as she was near his counter a measuring tape snapped up from his wrist.

"I'm sure you've been to see dear Rosalie by now. Just stand straight and put your arms out—that's it. Right then, give me a moment," he said as he began to write down her measurements before disappearing into the shelves of wands. He reemerged carrying four boxes and placed them on the counter before removing the lids from all of them.

"Alright young lady. Just give it a swish then," he told her. No sooner had picked up the first wand before he was shaking his head. "No, no. That one's all wrong. Next."

They went through thirteen wands with the same results: one after another was pronounced to be wrong. Mia was getting frustrated but Mr. Ollivander was absolutely beaming at the challenge she presented. He finally stood there silent for a few minutes, muttering under his breath as he gave her an assessing glance. He seemed to decide something as he suddenly gave a nod and disappeared back into the mountains of wands.

"That was a bit strange. Think he's finally lost it?" her uncle murmured to her father. It made Sirius and the children chuckle but they had to quiet down almost immediately as Mr. Ollivander came back out.

"Now then, why don't you give this a try. I made these wands twenty years ago and they have never accepted anyone. I haven't even bothered with bringing them out in the last decade but you're puzzling enough that one of them might take to you," he told her as he placed to boxes in front of her.

Mia picked up the first one near her but she had barely raised her hand before Mr. Ollivander snatched it from her. "Nope. That one won't do. Try the other one," he told her as he placed the wand back into its box.

' _I'll never find a wand at this rate,'_ Mia thought to herself with a tired sigh.

She picked up the last wand and as soon as her fingers wrapped around the it, the electric current of her magick she had become so attuned to seemed to snap to attention. The wand sent a shock up her arm that made her gasp and it shot out a shower of golden sparks. Seeing this, Ollivander looked positively giddy.

"Very curious. That is a Blackthorn wand with a phoenix feather core. Eleven inches, inflexible. Did you know, dear, that Blackthorn wands are notorious for producing warriors. It's not used much since its wands are quite selective, and I can certainly attest to that. I put in the phoenix feather core on a whim, which only made the problem worse, of course. It takes a strong witch or wizard to master a wand core like that. I think we're going to see some spectacular things from you, Miss Black" he told her seriously.

"Err, thanks, sir" she said awkwardly. That seemed like a lot of pressure to be put under for just getting a wand.

"Now then young man, step up. Let's get you sorted. Yes, arms just so. Alright, be back in a moment," he said disappearing back into the wands.

Harry had stepped closer to the counter and bent to pick up the other wand that had been discarded by Mia as Mr. Ollivander emerged once more.

"Oh no, lad, I don't think that one's for y—" he started to say but soon closed his mouth in surprise.

As soon as Harry had picked it up he had felt a tugging inside of him as his magick pushed and pulled, trying to get out. The wand lit up and sent a spray of water right into the face of the wand-maker. All Mr. Ollivander seemed capable of doing was staring at Harry as he absently wiped his face.

"Well. This is most unexpected," he finally settled on saying.

"What is, sir?" asked Remus trying not to laugh. Ollivander's beard looked quite wild at the moment from the shock of Mia's sparks and Harry's spray.

"Well. When I made these wands I knew it would be difficult to match them. I made them on a whim, a moment of curiosity, of wondering _what if?_ The woods are rare enough, but I placed a phoenix feather into both as a core. What's more is that they were feathers from the same bird, who had gifted me with two. I created sister wands, if you please. To be chosen, the witches or wizards would have to be incredibly compatible in their magick—which even among family members does not occur often, if at all. It is my understanding that Miss Black and Mr. Potter are not related by blood, yes?" he turned to look at her father. When Sirius just nodded, it seemed to excite the wand-maker even further. "Yes that's what I thought, which makes this all the curiouser, doesn't it? Yes. Curious indeed," he said as he stared off.

"Excuse me, sir. But what is my wand made of?" Harry asked looking down at it.

"Oh, my apologizes young Mr. Potter. Rowan, and you know that it has a phoenix feather core, of course. Twelve and three-quarters inches, unyielding. A spectacular wand to have chosen you. The Rowan tree is known for producing wands that excel in defensive magic and transfiguration. Yes. Quite spectacular. Well, I guess we won't be needing these other ones," he said with a chuckle as he set the boxes behind him on a shelf.

"You keep saying that. That the wands choose us. Are wands alive?" asked Mia.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Black. Always," he told her seriously.

"Right, well we best be on our way," her father said suddenly. The wand-maker had always been a bit strange but he seemed a little too interested in his children.

"Of course. That will be fourteen galleons," he said, moving to his till.

By the time they made it home, Mia's feet were ready to fall off from all the walking and her arms felt leaden from carrying around her various parcels and bags. That might have had something to do with all the pool laps Mr. Travers had made them do this morning though. She just wanted to drop into her bed and take a nap. In fact, she was just about to begin the climb up the stairs to her room when her father called out to her.

"Mia, love, come to the family room for a moment. You as well pup," he said as Harry tried to scoot by her. Both their shoulders slumped as their nap plans were foiled and with a sigh they turned around and followed their father into the family room. Mia took a seat on the couch and Harry plopped down with his head in her lap.

"Now, in a little over a month you'll both be off to Hogwarts. You'll have to be responsible for yourselves and—"

"Dad we've already had this conversation. We already promised not to slack off on our training," interrupted Harry. Just then their uncle came in from the kitchen carrying two boxes marked with their names. Boxes that _moved._

"What are those?" asked Mia getting excited.

"I was going to say," he said as he threw an amused look at his son, "that you have shown yourselves to be responsible these last months. And as you go off to Hogwarts you'll also have to responsible for keeping these beauties alive as well," he said as her uncle placed the boxes on the floor and took the tops off. Mia and Harry practically trampled him when he didn't move out of the way quickly enough.

Inside Mia's box was a small and absolutely _adorable_ kitten. She gently bent down and pulled her out, placing her against her chest as she rubbed the soft fur. Harry was equally enamored with the large Snowy Owl he had taken out from a cage inside the box. He was busy cooing at it, rubbing its head as it pecked at his messy hair.

"It's gorgeous," Mia whispered as she began to pet it behind its ears.

" _She_ was well on her way to the chopping block, as it were," her father told her.

"What! Why? She's perfect!"

"Look at her eyes, love. The shop owner said they were too uncanny for folks," he told her gently.

At first she didn't understand what her father was talking about. She saw a Russian Blue kitten with a beautiful gray coat. When she turned the little feline towards her and saw her eyes, however, she gave a small gasp. The cat's eyes were a bright burnt orange color. What made them remarkable, however, were the spots of blue-gray that invaded the orange orbs. Her right eye had a small spot near the inner corner of her eye, while almost half of her left eye was taken up by one. It almost looked like the color had spilled out from her elongated pupil. All together, they made for some quite extraordinary eyes. Uncanny, indeed.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't mind a pair of unique eyes," she heard her father say before he placed a kiss on her head. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Thank you, Papa. I love her," she told him. She knew what it was like to have people decide they didn't want to be around you because of something that was out of your control.

"I thought you might," he said with a smile.

"You have any names?" asked her uncle. He had to repeat the question twice before Harry finally heard him. He had been too busy telling his preening owl how beautiful she was. And it _was_ a her. He'd been pecked quite fiercely when he made the mistake to refer to her as a _him._

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. You need something regal though, don't you lovely. Yes, you're too beautiful for a common name," he said before he started cooing at her again.

Mia was too busy cuddling her new kitten to even bother replying. Her father and uncle went to go sit on the couch and left them to their incoherent mumbled endearments. Mia had been sitting on the floor for quite some time before she looked up from her furry friend.

"How about Zenobia?" Mia asked to seemingly no one in particular.

"Like the Muggle warrior queen?" clarified her uncle.

"Oh, no you're not a fan, are you? She _was_ captured," she continued as though she hadn't heard him. "Hmmm..." she said before she fell quiet again. Remus threw Sirius a questioning look but he only shrugged.

"Artemisia?" she asked again before answering herself. "No, no. Closer but not quite. You're quite picky, you know. Hmm….well that's a lovely spot you have on your ear" she said suddenly noticing the crescent-shaped white spot on her. It was unusual for Russian Blues to have markings but Mia noticed she also had a white paw. "Well what about Artemis? Oh, you like that. Goddess of the moon and hunt, huh? I bet you're quite the huntress yourself, aren't you?"

"Is she talking to the cat?" whispered Remus incredulously.

"Mate, I honestly wouldn't be surprised at this point," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Her name's Artemis," she finally announced to the room at large as she placed the kitten down so it could explore.

"Well that's great but help me find a name for my gorgeous owl," said Harry as he finally looked up. He'd chosen to completely ignore her rambling before.

"Well, I don't know her. You need to see what she likes, isn't that right girl?" Mia cooed as she came closer to pet his owl. The owl ruffled her feathers, preening under her admiring gaze, before pecking at Harry.

"Oh like that idea, do you? Well let's start then. Hmmm…Boudicca? Oh nope, too common for you, is it?" he quickly said as she pecked his fingers. "Well how about Cybele? Athena? They were both goddesses, you know." He told his owl but she didn't seem to like that any better. So it went for the next ten minutes: Harry would throw out a name and get a mild pecking if he was on the right track and a vicious tug of his hair if he wasn't.

"Well what do you want then? You obviously want to be named after a goddess or queen, you vain bird" he asked annoyed at being so abused.

"You know, she might not have been a queen or goddess, but Hedwig was an ancient and incredibly powerful witch. She's believed to have been the one to train The Morrigan and is credited with the creation of the powerful wards used to protect Hogwarts. Rowena Ravenclaw was a decedent of hers and inherited the journal that contained the wards' secrets" Mia finally threw out.

"Oh, you like that, do you? Hedwig it is then" he said as the owl began to rub her head against his finger. "Where'd you read about her anyway? How come you know all of this?" he asked his sister.

"Aunt Cissy told us that story once," she said with a shrug.

"She got it from _A History of Magic_. It's one of your textbooks," her uncle told them, recalling the name.

"Well, that's settled. Welcome to the family Artemis and Hedwig. Harry, there's a perch set up in your room for her if she doesn't fancy staying in the owlery. Mia, Nan has set up a litterbox for Artemis in the backroom and in your bedroom. You'll have to clean them out often. There's food and treats for them in the pantry, as well as some toys for Artemis. You understand that I expect _you_ to care for these animals, correct? The elves have been ordered to only interfere if it is necessary," he told the children seriously.

"Yes Papa", "Yes dad" they chorused together. Then they grabbed their pets and headed up the stairs.

"You think I'll regret this?" Sirius asked Remus as he threw himself down on the couch beside him.

"Oh, undoubtedly. But they _did_ look rather happy, didn't they?" was the reply he got. Sirius just groaned and rubbed his face.


	9. Welcome to Camp Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was originally just going to include this as a sidetone in the next chapter but after reading a comment left behind from one of you lovely people, I decided to make it into a short little chapter for you. Let me know what you think!

**18 August, 1991**

Sirius was frustrated. Augusta had decided to stop by to discuss the business venture the Blacks and Longbottoms shared in the alley so he had used the opportunity to ask about Neville attending the children's campout.

"No," she's said simply, without even looking up from the files Tognok had sent over. Luckily, they were in the library and the children were out with Remus so he did not have to worry about Mia bursting through the door demanding Neville attend.

"What? What do you mean, 'no'? Why on earth not?" he asked surprised.

"The boy would end up hurting himself—or worse, one of the children. The last thing I need is Narcissa, or—Merlin forbid— _Lucius_ , coming after me because my blundering grandchild knocked Draco into the lake." She put down the files on his desk and made to stand up but Sirius held out a hand.

"Now hold on a moment, Augusta. It's just a campout, not a free for all! He'll be fine and he'll have _fun_ ," he tried to convince her.

"No. Absolutely not. He can't be trusted out on his own like that," she said but Sirius wasn't hearing it.

"You need to stop treating the boy like this! Your constant off-hand remarks about what you think he's capable of do not help the already-shaky confidence the poor lad has. He walks on eggshells around you, always expecting to do wrong. He's the only child I know that would be given a second-hand wand—when he can afford a new one easily, mind—and not say a word because he thought it would displease you. What were you thinking with that, by the way? Giving him Frank's wand like that!" he was pacing at this point, turning to stare at her incredulously. When Mia had told him about the wand he couldn't believe Augusta would be so stupid.

"That's _enough_. You overstep, Lord Black. He is _my_ grandchild and I will thank you to stay out of how I choose to raise him," she snapped, face flushed. Sirius could have sworn the vulture on her horrid purple hat even moved a little.

"Oh no you don't. I am not talking to Lady Longbottom right now. I am talking to Augusta, the mother of an old friend. You forget that you were not the only one that lost them, you know," he told her quietly, voice pained. "We were all in the Order together; we went on missions together. Hell! Alice was even pregnant at the same time Lily was! They used to talk about raising the boys together and sending them off to school one day. And if Alice knew you were trying to pull this little stunt with the wand, she'd have hexed you into next week," he told her with a glare.

"I am giving him his father's wand so he can have something of his! You are being ridiculous!" She stood from the armchair by his desk but he moved to block the way.

"No, you're not listening to what I'm saying! You stand there and huff indignantly because I question your methods but you let Algie hang him out of a window when you thought he was a squib! Merlin's saggy tits Augusta! The boy lost his parents as a babe, he needs his grandmother—not Lady Augusta reminding him that he does not measure up to his father in her eyes," he told her fiercely. He'd been holding back too long with this and he regretted not saying anything until now.

Augusta looked stunned by his words and took a step back as if she'd been slapped. "He wouldn't have let anything happen to the boy," she finally said, looking away.

"I'm sure Neville didn't think that after he was dropped from the second story. Oh, I know about that. Remus found the poor boy outside a week after it happened when he stopped by to see you. Neville was shaking like a leaf because Algie had stopped by as well. Oh, but the poor lad didn't want to say anything to upset you. He tries so desperate to please you but you're setting him up for failure."

"What are you talking about?" she finally snapped at him, trying to recover from the blows of his words.

"You know as well as I that a wand must choose the wizard. It's the first thing a child learns when they go to the alley. You cannot give Neville Frank's wand simply because it's his father's. It will not accept a new owner that did not earn it in combat, you _know_ this! You're just too _bloody_ stubborn. If you give the boy that wand, he will have to fight for every spell and every ounce of magick that it is able to produce. He will struggle every day to perform simple tasks and it will crush his already dwindling confidence in his magical ability and worth," he told her fiercely. "Neville doesn't need anything of Frank's to remember him. He sees him every week in St. Mungo's—knows how brave his parents were. You need to remember that he is more than your heir. You must stop comparing him to Frank and let him become his own person. Frank and Alice would never forgive you otherwise."

Augusta had stared at him steadily throughout his speech, but his last words finally broke her. Well, as much as the formidable Lady Augusta could break, anyway. She looked away and took a shuddering breath before sitting down on one of the couches in front of the fire.

"He looks so much like my Frank," she finally said as she stared into the fire. "He has his gentle soul and his sweet smile. I never meant to treat him that way—never meant for him to feel like that. When his magick refused to manifest...I panicked. And then he can be so clumsy that I just don't want him in any situation that could hurt him," she said earnestly.

"I understand that, I do. But Neville does not. He thinks you're embarrassed of him, that you don't think he deserves his own wand," he told her gently.

Augusta looked startled at this. "He's told you that?"

"No. But he didn't have to. Mia said he looked ashamed when he told her about the wand when she ran into him in the alley." He took a seat beside her and sighed. "He needs a new wand Augusta."

She was quiet for a minute before she nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think you're right. It'll have to wait awhile, however. I don't think I'll be able to make it down there to shop for a wand until the last of the month," she sighed. Sirius looked at her before calling for Nan.

"Master?" the elf asked quietly when she appeared.

"Nan bring us some tea please, and some sandwiches as well. Thank you." The elf quietly nodded before disappearing back to the kitchen. Once she reappeared, she quickly set the service up on the table and left, quiet as a ghost.

"You know," he said as he picked up his cup, "I can take him down next Saturday. Let him come early and I'll pop over with him to the alley." When she merely pursed her lips, he gave her a frustrated look. "Oh, for Merlin's sake woman, let the lad come to the campout. My children have been driving me off the walls asking about him! I don't mind taking him to get his wand early, either. He gets his wand, Mia stops glaring at me, you get a day off. Everyone's happy."

"Ah yes. Mia. She's a very strong-willed child. She'll make an excellent Lady Black," she told him with approval before looking at him and sighing in defeat. "Very well. Neville will come to the children's campout and you can take him to get his wand."

"One more thing," he said quickly as she stood up. He waited until she looked back at him before standing up and meeting her gaze steadily. "Remember, he's more than your heir. Make sure _he_ knows that." She gave him a hurt look before nodding and turning to exit the room. When Lu came in to tell him that she had left, he let himself plop down in his couch and stayed that way until he heard the children and Remus arrive.

"Where did you go? Where are the pups?" he asked his friend. They'd gone into Muggle London after breakfast and he hadn't heard from them all day.

"Putting away their things, I imagine. They dragged me to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and then convinced me that we needed to buy the game _Twister_. How'd it go with Augusta?" he asked as moved Sirius's feet to sit down.

"Thanks for taking them. _That_ went about as well as we expected. I am sad to report that her vulture did _not_ take flight and attack me. So, there goes our theory that it's a defense system; it looks like it's purely for aesthetic purposes," he said as he opened his eyes to look at Remus.

"Well damn. And what'd she say about Neville?" Remus asked as he took a sandwich.

" _He_ can come, _I_ can take him to get a wand, _Mia_ will stop looking at me like I kicked her kitten, and _you_ can stop nagging me now. It's all bloody fantastic," he grumbled.

"Good man," Remus said cheerfully.

* * *

**24 August, 1991**

When Mia opened her eyes and saw a blank ceiling, she was momentarily disoriented. It wasn't until she glanced over and saw her brother's sleeping form beside her that she remembered coming in here when she heard him having a nightmare. He had gone months without one and she'd been a bit startled when she woke up in the middle of the night to hear him cry out. She'd still been more than half-asleep when she'd run into his room and woken him up, sliding in beside him when he calmed down.

' _RRRRRRRRR,'_ she heard something vibrate. That must be what had woken her up in the first place. She looked around and saw Harry's wand on his nightstand, slowly moving toward the edge. Their father had taught them how to turn things into alarm clocks with a variation of the _Tempus_ charm. She'd spelled a hairbrush but Harry, apparently, had chosen his wand.

"M'ke it st'p," she heard him mutter into his pillow.

"It's fifteen to six. We better get up so we're not late. C'mon we're sparring today," she told him as she slid out of bed. Harry groaned loudly before sitting up, making Hedwig ruffle her feathers angrily from her perch.

Mia left him to get ready and quickly slipped into some workout clothes and pulled her hair up. She made sure to braid it as well since last time the strands had gotten caught in the mat. She pulled on her trainers and went downstairs, trying to mentally prepare herself for the Saturday session. She wasn't nearly as tired after the three hours as she had been a year ago but it was still no walk in the park. Harry was already outside stretching when she came out into the patio but there was no sign of their trainer.

"Where's Mr. Travers?" she asked as she bent down to do her own stretches. Harry just shrugged and pulled a leg behind his back to stretch his hamstring.

"Was he out here when you got down here?" she asked and Harry shook his head. "Did you forget how to use your voice?" she asked amused. Harry just stuck his tongue out at her.

"Good morning!" came the deep voice of their trainer as he stepped out of the family room. "Sorry to keep you waiting, had to get a few things. Now then, let's get started with our run. I think we'll do a twelve-mile loop, I'm feeling rather energetic today," he told them with a grin. Mia and Harry groaned and started after him when he turned and began to jog across the grounds.

"Keep your guard up, move those feet!" Mr. Travers called out. Harry corrected his stance but Mia managed to land a solid hit before he danced back. They had started practicing Krav Maga after Christmas and were slowly improving. All the aikido katas and boxing lessons had finally made sense when they realized the martial art was a combination of it all. While they were nowhere near a black-belt, the combined nine hours a week of practicing showed through in their careful movements and quick reflexes.

Harry stumbled back with her hit but didn't fall over, instead kicking out and trying to catch her off-guard but she stepped into his side and used his momentum against him to throw him off balance. He rolled as he fell and was up on his feet the next second. He struck out with his arm but Mia grabbed it and, rotating her body into his, used her shoulder to throw him over her back.

"Ugh," he groaned as his back made hard contact with the mat.

"Well done Mia! Harry, bud, you _gotta_ move those feet. You keep them too stationary. It costs you time," Mr. Travers told them as he approached.

"I think she's just better," he said as he sat up and removed the head padding. Mia grinned at him and helped him back to his feet, thankful he wasn't one to resent her because she was better at something.

"Yes, that too," Mr. Travers laughed. "Alright, our time's almost up so I might as well do this now. Give me a moment," he said as he jogged out of their make-shift studio. The children used the minute he was gone to take off their padding and wipe off their sweat before taking a seat on the floor.

"These are for you," he said as he jogged back into the room. He was carrying to medium-sized gym bags—one gray, one blue.

"What are they?" asked Harry as he stood up. Mr. Travers gave him a big grin before bending down to open one.

"I'm glad you ask. You two will be off to school soon and I don't want you forgetting what you've learned, or falling out of practice—it's taken me too long to get you this fit. So. I got you a present. I've spelled this bags with an _undetectable_ _extension_ charm—got your dad's okay to do it, by the way—and a _feather-light_ charm. Inside, you will find everything you will need to keep your skills sharp until I see you for Christmas break," he told them satisfied.

Mia reached into the gray one and began to pull things out, impressed with the sheer amount of _stuff_ that was coming out of a relatively small bag. There were boxing gloves, a Bo staff, padding, a yoga mat, a _sparring_ mat, a timer, ankle weights, some lightweight dumbbells, an exercise ball, a step counter, and a couple pairs of track suits.

"Oh yes, you'll like those. They're like thermal suits but _better_. When they're made, they're imbued with heating and cooling charms which activate based on the outside temperature. They're very thin so they won't get it in the way but they'll keep you warm even if you're running through a blizzard. You could put those on while you're walking through a desert and you'd only sweat from exertion. _And_ they're self-adjusting so they'll fit perfectly when you put them on" He had become quite excited by the end; he was obviously a big fan of the track suits.

"That's _brilliant,_ " Harry breathed out as he pulled out a red one out his blue bag and Mia could only nod enthusiastically. They must have cost a small fortune and she had a sneaking suspicion her father had financed the gifts.

"Isn't it?" Mr. Travers was all but bouncing with excitement.

"Thank you!" Mia said happily as she threw her arms around their trainer. Harry quickly followed suit, almost knocking them down as Mr. Travers tripped on one of their Bo staffs.

"You're welcome. Just remember to keep up while you're away and, you know, don't get seen or anything." He had never been told _why_ he was training two of the wealthiest children in the UK but he knew it wasn't for the hell of it. He also knew Sirius had emphasized discretion, which meant other people weren't meant to know.

***************

"Mia, Neville's here!" Harry yelled up the stairs. She was in her room, playing with Artemis, but she quickly picked up her kitten and ran downstairs.

"Hey Neville," she said with a smile. They weren't exactly friends, but she had always liked him.

"Oh, hello Mia," he said with a nervous smile. He still couldn't believe his grandmother had let him come to their campout. He'd thought for sure he had heard her wrong when she informed him he would be staying with the Blacks.

"Ready to go?" Sirius asked the children as he walked down the stairs behind his daughter.

"Uh-huh. Where's Uncle Remus?" Harry asked.

"He's out of town visiting that friend, remember?" Mia told him pointedly. The full moon was that day and their uncle had left in the early hours of the morning to Lupin Cottage. It had been reinforced to withstand the transformations and warded to make sure he couldn't get out. He'd be there until tomorrow morning, but her father would likely check on him at some point during the night.

"Oh, right. Forgot that was today," Harry said quickly, glancing at Neville. They were by no means ashamed of their uncle, but other people were not so tolerant; they made a point to keep it a closely-guarded family secret.

Sirius clapped his hands once and headed towards the receiving room. "Let's get going then."

"Um, where are we going sir?" Neville asked nervously. He thought the campout would be _here_ , in the Manor.

"Didn't Augusta tell you?" When Neville shook his head Sirius grinned wide. He loved surprises. "Well, you'll soon find out."

*****************

" _I GET A WAND?"_ Neville looked like he was about to pass out from either shock or excitement.

"Surprise!" Sirius said as pushed the boy towards the wand shop.

Neville, however, didn't budge. "B-b-but Grams said—"

"She changed her mind. Said that every young wizard needs his own wand," Sirius told him quickly.

"But she _never_ changes her mind." Mia hadn't thought it possible for his eyes to widen that much.

"Well she did about this. C'mon let's go see Mr. Ollivander," Harry said as he physically pushed the boy into the wandshop.

They walked out not twenty minutes later, Neville the proud new owner of an eleven and three-quarter inch English oak wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, swishy. It had only taken four wands before Ollivander declared a match, but if the children were expecting a similar show to what had happened to them, they were disappointed. When Neville flicked his wand, it lit up and shot a few pretty sparks, but that was it.

Sirius took the children to Florean Fortescue's for some ice cream afterwards and was happy to see Neville couldn't wipe the happy grin from his face the entire time. The only thing that would have made it better was if Remus was with them, instead of suffering the full moon alone in some cabin.

"You know, I don't think that's where you're supposed to keep pets," Mia heard someone say behind her. She was sitting down on the ground, leaning against one of the trees as she looked out over the lake. It was nearly sunset and Harry and Neville were off flying while Lu watched over them.

She turned around and saw Draco standing behind her, staring at her neck where Artemis had made herself at home. "She likes it there," she said with a shrug and patted the ground next to her. Draco made a face but sat down with her. Honestly, he was so much like his father sometimes.

"She likes to suffocate you?" he asked with a snicker, making her roll her eyes.

"No, she likes to get under my hair. I'm not sure why, but it doesn't bother me so I let her."

"Hmmm. Why are you out here by yourself and not with Harry and Longbottom?" he asked as he bumped his shoulder with hers.

"I don't know. Just didn't feel like it, I guess," she mumbled as she went back to staring out at the lake.

"It's been years Mia. We were very little, he didn't mean anything by it," he said as he stared at her sideways. After Mia had come to live at the Manor, her father had invited over the Weasleys, Malfoys, Zabinis, and Longbottoms to introduce her—they were Harry's playmates so it made sense that they should meet the new addition to the family. It went over well for the most part, except when Neville first saw her. He had come running into the room and had bumped into her, falling. When he got up and saw her eyes, he'd told her that her eyes were scary, ran out of the room again, and wouldn't come near her without Harry or his grandmother. Mia didn't blame him, didn't even resent him for his reaction, but it was hard to forget about something like that. He was a very sweet boy and had never said an unkind word to her since, but she knew he wasn't comfortable around her so she made herself scarce when he was at the Manor.

"This was your idea, you know. You can't just invite him and avoid him for the rest of the night. Wait, on second thought, let's get Harry and ignore Longbottom together," he said as he leaned forward to catch a firefly.

"You won't give him a hard time," she warned him. Draco didn't particularly like Neville and loved making him squirm.

"I would never," he deadpanned before he cracked and gave her a smirk.

"I mean it Draco. Just don't, alright? He knows you don't like him and I don't want him to have a bad time. He rarely gets to leave his grandmother behind."

"Fine. But only because you got Uncle Sirius to agree to let us sleep outside," he grumbled.

"Thank you." She leaned back and watched as Artemis uncoiled from around her neck and went exploring. She was jumping around, trying to get to one of the fireflies, but she ended up tripping over her own paws. Mia started giggling when Artemis looked back at her reproachfully; she just looked so adorable.

"Oh, don't be mad because you fell. It's your own fault for trying to go after them," she scolded her cat as she reached over to pick her up. Artemis huffed at her before jumping off her lap and heading back the way they had come.

"You realize it's strange that she seems to understand you, right? I know she's a magical type, but it's still _strange_ that you talk to her," Draco told her point-blank.

"I've been reading and I think she's part Kneazle. If you look at her tail, it has a bit of a tuff at the end and her ears are bit too long for a Russian Blue. It would also explain her eyes," she said as she finally stood up.

"Huh," was all her cousin said before they began to walk to the pitch.

"Mia! Two-on-two! Me and Neville against you and Dragon!" Harry yelled down to her when he saw her approaching.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Draco yelled up annoyed.

"But Draco," Harry said with a pout, "it sounds so fierce."

"It's stupid, _Jamie_ " Draco snapped back.

"Only Mia can call me that," Harry said with a frown as he touched down with Neville beside him.

"Then stop with the Dragon business."

"Fine. So, two-on-two? See who can get the most goals in before dinner?" he asked excitedly.

"Jamie, I don't th—"

"You just don't want to play because you know you'll lose and you don't like to lose," Harry whined. Mia was about to say they should wait until after dinner but quickly forgot about that.

"First one to ten wins. Losers owe _each_ winner one dare or favor. Whatever they want, whenever they want," she said with narrowed eyes. She was a bit competitive—sue her.

"Uh, Mia—"

"Harry, maybe we shou—"

"Deal! C'mon Neville let's get the extra brooms from the shed," Harry said before grabbing the boy's sleeve and pulling him along.

"I did _not_ agree to this." Draco was not happy at the idea of having to complete a mystery dare set by _Harry_. "I refuse to do whatever stupid thing your brother has in mind."

"Good because I don't plan to lose. Harry favors the left hoop and flies slightly to the right. Neville will be nervous around us so fly by him often. Leave the scoring to me," she said with a small smile.

"I hope you know what you're doing cousin," he finally muttered as the boys returned.

"Mia, here's yours. Draco can use Uncle Remus's and Neville will be using dad's. Since I can't find the quaffle, I got my old football. It's about the same size. Alright, let's st—"

"You're forgetting something," Mia interrupted. When he looked at her blankly, she rolled her eyes and called out. "Lu!"

"Miss?" the elf said as he appeared. Harry looked at him and threw a sheepish look her way.

"Lu, we want to play a quick game. Would you please watch and keep score? Make sure no one is cheating?" He was used to this role since their father sometimes had friends over for a match.

"Of course, Miss. Lu will watch." With that he disappeared, only to reappear in the official's box.

"Alright, _now_ we can start," Harry said as he mounted his broom.

****************

"I take it back. That was a brilliant idea," Draco sighed happily as they made their way inside. The game had lasted a total of twenty minutes, with a final score of 10-6.

"That's not what you'd be saying if we had lost," Mia said amused. She could hear Harry and Neville grumbling behind them, which just made her grin happily. Her brother got too cocky and she loved reminding him that he was not always as good as he wanted to believe.

"Yes, but you don't lose. I had forgotten how competitive you are. You're a bit frightening sometimes, you realize," he said as he grinned.

"Who's frightening?" her father asked suddenly as he stepped out of the family room carrying a tray with two large bags hanging from a hand.

"Mia," all three boys said at once, making her father bark out a laugh.

"That's my girl. Keep them on their toes, Princess." He told her as he placed the tray on the patio table before stepping back. "I thought we'd have dinner out here, in true campout spirit. I went to get some takeout while you lot were out doing whatever you were doing. The plan was for me to cook, but well. I'm not the best cook and I don't want to risk killing you," he said with a grin.

"Ooooo did you get Thai?" asked Harry excited. He loved takeaway.

"Sorry pup, they were closed. I did, however, procure some delicious Indian and a large supreme pizza. Even managed to pick up some orange cola."

"Cola?" asked Neville confused.

"It's like frizzy fruit juice. It's a muggle drink and it's _delicious_ ," Draco explained excitedly. He loved coming to the Blacks because they had all these muggle foods that his father didn't allow at Malfoy Manor. His mum would sneak him away sometimes, however, to go eat dinner with the Blacks.

"Excellent explanation. I also have some s'mores fixings for dessert. Have to make due with chocolate chip biscuits since we were out of graham crackers," he said with a shrug. "Alright, let's eat. Nan! Can you bring the pizza, cola, and some glasses from the kitchen?" he asked the elf when she appeared.

"Shouldn't we be eating at the campsite?" asked Mia snickering as the elves set the table. It was always funny seeing a slice of greasy pizza on the fine china.

"We could. But takeaway is a bit too messy and I don't relish the idea of Dessy killing me for the inevitable stains it would create," he said seriously. "Now, dig in. Neville, how are you with spicy food?"

It turned out Neville was _very_ good with spicy food. Even mopped up his plate with some naan and asked for seconds. It had been very amusing, but nowhere near the level of hilarity that watching him drink cola for the first time had been. He had started sneezing like mad when the bubbles tickled his nose and when he took his first sip, he'd nearly choked in surprise as the bubbles moved to tickle his throat. Once he had gotten over his surprise, he'd guzzled it down right quick, exclaiming all the while how he couldn't believe they didn't have the drink in the wizarding world.

Once they were finished eating and drinking copious amounts of cola, they picked up the s'mores tray and made their way to the campsite their father had set up earlier in the day. They would be staying close to the lake, in the middle of a circle of oaks. In the middle of the small clearing was a fire pit, with some large sitting logs surrounding it. The sleeping bags were set up around that, close enough to stay warm during the night, but not so close they'd be in danger of catching the sleeping bags on fire.

"You remember how to start it Mia?" her father asked as he nodded toward the pit.

"Uh-huh. Can I borrow your lighter?" she asked as she held her hand out. Her father set down the tray on of logs before he pulled out the cigarette lighter he kept in his trouser pocket.

"Just be careful, alright? Harry, roll out the sleeping bags. Draco and Neville can help you."

It took her a few tries, but Mia was finally able to get the fire going. Her father and uncle had taken them camping a few times over the years and they had insisted on teaching them how to start a fire and how to fish. The fishing she could handle—it was the smell of cleaning the fish afterwards that made her stomach churn.

"Excellent. Now that we have a fire let's get those s'more ready. Alright, Neville. What you'll want to do is grab two biscuits and put marshmallows and chocolate in the middle, like this, and _squish_ it together" her father said as he demonstrated for them. "Just like that, yes. Okay, now I'm going to levitate them over the fire to get them nice and melted. Draco, give me that plate that's on the tray please. Thanks pup."

Her father got up and carefully levitated all their s'mores over the fire for a few minutes before placing them down on the plate that Draco had given him. They let them cool for a moment before biting into the gooey deliciousness, laughing at the look of awe that came over Neville's face. They spent the next couple of hours listening to her father tell them stories about the constellations they could see—both muggle and wizard alike—and eating the rest of the s'mores. Eventually, when the moon was high in the sky, they started nodding off. Harry and Draco fell asleep leaning against their log, their faces covered in chocolate and so close together they were almost cuddling. Her father chuckled before reaching into the bag by his sleeping bag and pulling out a camera to snap a picture.

"They won't be pleased," giggled Mia when she saw him do it.

Her father winked at her, "I know. Imagine how much worse it'll be when I pull these out once they have girlfriends." He looked absolutely giddy at the idea and Mia laughed at him. He smiled before he looked up at the moon and stood up. "Tilly," he called as he dusted the shorts he was wearing.

_Crack._ "What can Tilly do for Master?"

"I need to go check on something. Will you stay with the children and make sure they're okay?"

"Of course, Master Black! Tilly be staying with them until you gets back. Tilly makes sure theys safe, don't worry."

"Thank you. Alright little fox, I'll be back soon. Goodnight," he said as he bent down to kiss her forehead. He went over to Draco and picked him up to tuck him into his sleeping bag before turning and doing the same with Harry. Once he was finished, he looked around at them all once more before he jogged back in the direction of the Manor.

"Where's he going?" Neville asked quietly. She had almost forgotten he was still awake.

"Not sure. He has business partners all over so his meetings are at weird times sometimes," she said smoothly.

"Oh. Okay. Uh, Mia?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Hmmm?" she replied distractedly as she went about fixing her own sleeping bag.

"I, uh, I just wanted to say thank you. For inviting me, I mean. It's be loads of fun," he said with a hesitant smile when she glanced up at him. Mia returned it and sat up.

"You're welcome, Neville. I'm glad you've liked it. Maybe we can start doing this every year. During the summer holls, I mean." She liked the idea of that and she was sure her father wouldn't object.

"That'd be brilliant. Well, goodnight." With that he settled into his sleeping bag before turning over. He must have been quite exhausted from the day's many excitements because he was asleep in moments.

"Tilly?" she whispered, knowing she'd be close by.

The elf stepped out from the base of one of the trees. "Miss?"

"Could you make sure there are healing potions in my uncle's room? I don't think Papa took any with him," she said worriedly, staring up at the moon. She hated that her uncle had to go through these transformations every month. Despite the wolfsbane helping him keep a hold on his humanity in his wolf shape, she could still see the new scars after each moon.

"Of course, Miss. Lu will make sure Master Lupin be fines," she reassured the young girl.

"Thank you, Tilly. Goodnight," she said before she snuggled down into her pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Tilly stood guard over the children throughout the dark hours of then night, ears twitching at every noise, arms always ready to protect her charges. There was something in the air, a darkness she could feel moving off in the distance, and it had her feeling uneasy. She did not relax her stance until Sirius appeared in the early hours of the morning.


	10. All Aboard!

**27** **August** **, 1991**

It was a simple note when it came. Its briefness, however, did not prevent him from choking on his coffee in shock, nor did it stop the coughing fit that followed. With shaking hands, he opened the note once more and made sure he had read it correctly.

_I send you a precious gift. Give her the refuge you once thought to offer._

_Protect her Sev. Please._

_\- R_

She was alive. And she was sending him her daughter.

* * *

**1 September, 1991**

8:09 a.m.

He was prepared this time. When his children came running into the room and jumped on his bed, yelling for him to wake up, he was already calmly sitting on the armchair by his fire. He had just finished getting dressed and had been in the process of pulling on his shoes when he'd heard the hurried footsteps down the hall. Knowing what they meant, he had quickly moved out of the line of fire.

"Morning pups," he told said, laughing at the pout Mia threw his way when she realized he was already awake.

"Good morning Papa," she finally said as she stood to kiss his cheek.

"Good morning dad," Harry said brightly.

"I know you're terribly disappointed that I was not there to cushion your hard fall but I think your dear Uncle Moony might still be available," he said with a smirk. He'd told Remus to set an alarm for his own safety, if he was still asleep he deserved to get jumped on.

"Well we wouldn't want him to be late. Let's go help wake him up Mia," Harry said as he pulled her out of the room and across the hall.

"GOOD MORNING UNCLE MOONY," he heard them call through the door.

"Ooooof. PADFOOT GET YOUR—OW, WATCH THE ELBOWS—DEVILS OFF ME" Remus bellowed soon after.

' _Ah. The joys of fatherhood,'_ he thought to himself as he joined in the dogpile on top of his friend. Pun fully intended.

**************

Mia had opted for waking up her father and uncle before she got ready herself. She didn't want them waking up late and then having to rush around. So after they finally left her uncle's room she scurried back into her room to take a shower and get dressed. Her curls had become quite unmanageable the last few days as the air became more and more humid so she quickly dried and braided it, just like Tilly had taught her.

She walked into her closet and looked at the clothes she still had left. She had packed quite a bit of her Muggle clothes, since they were the most comfortable, and a few dresses. After looking around she finally settled on some blue muggle jeans and a gay short-sleeved shirt. She grabbed her white trainers and soon she was ready to go. Well, _almost_ ready to go. She did another round through her room, making sure she had everything she needed, nervously fidgeting with her snake necklace as she did so.

"I have my clothes, shoes, books, quills, bathrobe, toiletries, comb, and hair ties. I already grabbed Artemis's toys, treats, bedding, and carrier. Have the wand holster Aunt Cissy gave me last week. Already put my book bag in the trunk, what am I missing? Oh! My training clothes!" she said suddenly as she spied the gym bag Mr. Travers had given her in the corner of the room. She quickly placed it in her trunk before putting a set of black robes over—she wanted them to be easy to grab when it came time to change. She glanced around before she picked up Artemis and put her on her shoulder, nestled under her braid.

"C'mon Ari, I think I got everything. Let's go make sure my brother is ready." She left her trunk behind since Lu would be taking it down.

"Harry, are you quite finis—what are you doing? Why is there clothes all over your floor?" she asked confused as he continued to throw things out of his closet.

"Mia! Oh, I…uh. I'm just looking for something," he said a bit nervously as he threw some of the clothes into his trunk.

"Jamie, please tell me you aren't packing until just now. I asked you if you were finished last night! You said you just needed to put your robes in the trunk!" she shrieked at him.

"Well I did. And some other things as well. But it's fine, see? Almost done. Just gotta…close…it" he said as he tried to snap his trunk shut. But no matter how he pushed down on it, it didn't budge.

"DESSY!" She suddenly yelled.

"No, Mia, please do—" he tried to say but he was interrupted by a loud _crack_.

"What does the young Miss need?" asked Dessy as she apparated into the room. Nan and Tilly's mother was an old elf, but you couldn't tell from looking at her. She stood straight as a board, her ears folded neatly surrounding her big green eyes. Her uniform was pure black with white stitching, to show that she was the Matron Elf of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.

"Dessy Harry hasn't packed any of his things and we're going to be late!" Mia told her in a huff. When Dessy's eyes narrowed, Harry took a hasty step back and swallowed hard.

"Young Master knows better than to do this, he does" she told him sternly. "Dessy be teaching you how to properly fold your clothes since you were a babe. I will still hover you over my knee, young Master Harry. Dessy will do it, she will!" she threatened him as she wagged a finger at him.

"No Dessy, I'm sorry. I just thought I'd have more time," he implored her, throwing Mia a look filled with reproach.

"Now don't be looking at the Miss like that! She be a good girl, folding her clothes like Dessy taught her. She be ready like she is supposed to be! Dessy will fix this but if young Master forgets again, Dessy be reminding him of what it be feeling like to hovered over my knee," she told him with a glare.

Dessy suddenly turned and snapped her fingers twice. Everything exploded out of Harry's trunk and hovered in the air before his books and supplies took a dive and settled against the bottom of the trunk. One-by-one each item of clothing in the air began to fold itself as his shoes followed the books inside. Soon his toiletries, bathrobe, cloak, and pajamas followed. His clothes began to float down and arranged itself neatly, before his gym bag and a box of owl treats leaped out from beneath his bed and settled on top of the folded clothes.

"Oh, I nearly forgot that," Harry said with relief but fell quiet when Dessy turned to glare at him. A set of his school robes settled on top of the pile, much like Mia had done with her trunk, before his trunk snapped itself shut.

"There. Young Master's trunk be ready. Now you boths be getting to the kitchen now. Nan be done with breakfast and you will be needing to leave soon. Master Sirius be wanting to get there early to make sure you has a compartment," she told them sternly before disappearing with the trunk. No doubt she took Mia's down as well.

"Thanks for that Mia," he muttered as he went to leave his room.

"You're forgetting Hedwig's cage," she told his retreating back. When he stopped in his tracks she smirked before breezing past him, completely unrepentant that he was now on their Nanny elf's bad side.

***************

They had eaten breakfast quickly and had left the Manor a half past ten, apparating directly to Platform 9 ¾ . Lu had come with them so he could bring their trunks and pets, leaving the adults to transport the children. As soon as they were on the platform, however, the little elf disappeared without a sound.

When Mia and Harry looked up, they saw an immense cherry-red train surrounded by steam. It was incredible that a train that size could exist in the heart of King's Cross without any of the Muggles being aware of it. They were still staring in awe when they were nudged forward by their uncle and father, getting them out of the way of oncoming students. They quickly picked up their pets' carriers and moved aside.

"We're here a bit early but I wanted to make sure you two find a compartment and—Ah I see your aunt up ahead. Cissy!" he yelled after his cousin.

Narcissa turned when she heard her name called and smiled when she spotted Remus over the crowd. If he was here, no doubt Sirius and the children were as well. She grabbed Draco's arm and started heading their way, calling to Lucius as she did so.

"Hello darlings," she said as she gave everyone a hug and a kiss. Draco gave his uncles and Mia a hug before falling to stand besides Harry.

"You're rather early," Sirius finally said. Last they had spoken, they were going to be arriving a quarter to eleven as Lucius had a late breakfast meeting.

"Yes, well Lucius's plans changed so we thought we might get Draco settled in," she told them as she started to herd the children towards the train once more.

"Yes well, now that your cousin and his… _friend_ are here, I think Draco can get settled in quite well," he told her with a sneer in Remus's direction that immediately put Sirius on edge. Lucius used every opportunity to demean his friend for his condition, but this was not the time nor the place. He didn't have to worry, however, since he simply turned around to face his son.

"Draco," he said before he gave him a brief hug and headed off to the apparition point. Draco, for his part, did not look surprised that his father had disappeared so soon after arriving and was soon drawn into a conversation with the children as they turned to head into the train.

"He didn't used to be like that, you know," whispered Narcissa sadly after a minute. "He was kind and affectionate when we met. Even after Draco's birth. But things….changed when everything came to light after _His_ fall. Lucius knew I did not condone his part in it or the ideology—how could I when it cost my baby sister her life?" she asked as her eyes filled with pain. "He became distant after that—buried himself in his work. He adores Draco but he doesn't know how to act around him. Of course, it does not help that Draco is more like me than him. I know you wonder why I don't leave him. If it weren't for the marriage ceremony we had, I think I might have. As it were, the ritual does not allow for separation," she told them truthfully.

This was the first time that Narcissa had openly discussed her marriage to Lucius. Things must have been worse than they thought for her be speaking this way. She was a very reserved woman, always keeping her cards close to her chest.

"Well if you and the pup ever need a place to stay, you know my home is always open. You might not be able to leave the marriage, but you can leave _him._ Remember that," Sirius told her in a whisper as he gave her a tight hug. She hugged him back for a moment before stepping away.

"Thank you," she said with a sincere smile. "We better get these trunks on the train before the compartments fill." With that she flicked her wand and had Draco's drunk levitating behind her as she boarded the train, in search of the children. Remus and Sirius quickly followed suit, trailing behind her.

***************

"This one looks to be empty," Mia told the boys as the opened the door to the compartment about halfway down the train.

"Great. So who stays to claim it while we go get the trunks?" Draco asked as he placed his owl, Medusa, on the seat. Harry shrugged before he placed Hedwig's cage next to his.

"Mia should stay. We're both stronger than her so we should go get the trunks," he finally said as his sister took Artemis out of her carrier.

"Excuse me?" she said with narrowed eyes.

"Uh…that didn't come out right. You know, you're a girl and girls shouldn't—uh…a little help Draco?" he asked his cousin desperately.

"No, no. I think you're putting your foot in your mouth quite well on your own," replied the blond in amusement.

"Thanks, mate."

"You listen here _brother dearest_. Just beca—" but her scolding was put on hold as her Aunt Cissy entered the compartment behind Draco.

"Good. You found one. Alright, love, here's your trunk. Careful now, watch your head," she said as she placed it overhead above her son's owl cage. Then she stepped back out and let her father and uncle repeat the procedure with their trunks. No sooner had they the adults finished than they heard a high whistle pierce the air.

"That would be our cue to go. Train will leave in ten minutes. Be good now, all three of you. And remember what we learned this summer. I expect you to behave like the future Lords and Lady you are," her aunt told them with a watery smile as she began to hug them all and pepper them with kisses.

"Right you are Cissy. Behave, and watch out for each other," her father said before taking his turn smothering the children.

"And remember, stay out of trouble. But if trouble comes knocking, _don't get caught,_ " her uncle said with a smile before inflicting the third round of affection.

"Remus!" her aunt said with a laugh. Her uncle just winked at them before walking out. Sirius offered his arm to Narcissa as he made to step out of the compartment.

"We'll see you for the winter holls. Don't forget to write tomorrow!" he told them before he guided Narcissa out, changing into their public image between one step and the next. Her aunt's face became aloof and her eyes turned cold making her look like an Ice Queen. Her father seemed to stand taller, his lips thinning a bit as he adopted a flat expression. Gone were her father and aunt, and in their place stood Lord Black and Lady Malfoy.

Once their family was gone the children took a seat, almost bouncing in excitement. When the final whistle finally blew, they ran to the window and stuck their heads out the window. Standing on the platform was her aunt, sandwiched between her father and uncle. All three waved goodbye to them as the train began to pull away, her aunt sending them kisses. Just as Mia was about to pull her head back inside she caught sight of a woman in the crowd standing towards the back. She was wearing dark gray robes, with the hood up and covering her face from view; all Mia could make out were blond curls that blew with the wind from the train. Despite this, Mia got the unsettling impression that the woman was staring right at her. As the train pulled out of the station, Mia saw the stranger make a neat turn before heading toward the barrier and disappearing into the Muggle station beyond.

"You reckon we're almost there?" asked her brother a few hours later. He was sat on the floor leaning against her knees as he and Draco played a game of Wizard's Chess and ate their sweets from trolley.

"No. Papa said we won't be there until the evening," she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair from her spot on the seat and read. She put down her book and rummaged around in her pocket until she pulled out the wrist watch she had taken to carrying with her. "It's barely half-past four. We most likely still have two or three hours to go."

"But we've been on the train _ages_ ," complained Draco before moving his bishop.

"Ha! Check mate," her brother called out cheerfully.

"No, that's it. That's the fourth game you beat me at! I'm done playing," Draco said as he tipped over his King.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Harry as he helped him pick up all the pieces. Some of them were being quite rude since he had sacrificed them along the way.

"I dunno,"

"Ugh. This is boring. Dad never said the train ride would be this _boring._ "

"Please stop whining. It's quite annoying. Go, look for people if you need to. Just be quiet. And take Draco with you," Mia said annoyed from her spot. She was reclining against the outside wall of the train and had Artemis nestled against her throat as she read. She was quite comfortable but she couldn't concentrate with their talking.

"Why do I have to go?" asked Draco affronted.

"Because you'll keep him from doing anything too daft," she replied without looking up from her Potions book.

"Hey!" Harry said offended. He refrained from further protest when Mia turned a dark glare his way.

"Right. Off to find Blaise then. Or anyone," Harry said as he pulled Draco out of the compartment.

"About time," muttered Mia as she continued reading while petting Artemis. She could feel the kitten purring into her hair and it made her feel quite peaceful. The beautiful cat had fallen into a routine quite easily and had been fairly easy to train. She followed simple directions and loved to follow Mia around. Mia had even taken her on a run once, securing the small kitten within the hood of her running jacket. Harry had said Artemis kept her eyes wide open the entire time, taking in everything around them in the woods.

She had been reading for about thirty minutes when she heard the compartment door slide open again. Without even looking up she began to give her warnings. "If you make so much as a peep, I will hide Hedwig's box of treats so she pecks you every time she brings you anything."

"You know, can't say that would make a difference—"

"—but thanks for the warning."

' _Oh no,"_ she thought as she heard the familiar voices. She looked up and saw Fred and George standing right inside the compartment. They were both a bit taller than her and had the Weasley trademarks: bright red hair, face full of freckles, and dark blue eyes. They were standing half-leaning on the compartment wall, carrying what appeared to be a toad. She blinked at that.

"Is that Trevor?" she asked, pointing to the toad. Neville had rescued the poor thing the day after their campout when they found it injured in the lake at the Manor.

"Sure is. Saw the little fellow all miserable in his carrier and decided —"

"—he looked like he desperately needed a walk."

"Right. And does Neville _know_ you're taking Trevor for a walk?" she asked suspiciously.

"About that. Might have forgotten—"

"—to mention that last bit to him."

Mia just sighed at their satisfied looks. "Fred, give me Trevor," she finally said after she sat up.

"How do you _do_ that?" they asked at the same time. They were forever frustrated that she could tell them apart, no matter what they tried.

"You threw my favorite book into the lake," was all she said in reply. "Now give me the toad," she told them as she held out her hands.

"Now why would we do that?" asked George curiously.

"Because if you don't, I will tell your mother that you learned to pick locks so you can sneak into the broomshed at night" she told them calmly and watched their face blanche.

"H-how do you know about that?" Fred finally asked.

"Saw you guys through the kitchen window when we spent the night after you got back from visiting Charlie. I had been getting some water," she told them with a smirk.

"Right then. Freddie? How about we leave the toad with the nice girl," George asked his twin.

"Right. Here you go, we'll be off now," he said as he handed her the toad and scurried out of the compartment with his twin.

She was settled once more when not even ten minutes later the door flew open again. "Oh honestly! Is it so hard to let me read in peace?" she snapped annoyed. That is, until she saw a frantic Neville standing there getting ready to bolt at her sharp tone.

"Oh, Neville! Sorry, I thought you were the twins," she said apologetically.

"H-h-have they been in here? The twins I mean?" he asked as he began to wring his hands nervously. "It's just that I'm sharing a compartment with them and I think they let Trevor out and now I can't find him." He was getting more worked up by the second and looked close to tears by now.

"Neville, calm down. I have Trevor, it's fine!" she told him hastily.

"What? Where did you find him?" he asked her quickly.

"He's just here inside of Artemis's carrier. I didn't know where else to place him. I…liberated him from the twins," she told him as she got up to open the carrier.

" _How?_ They _never_ do that," he asked, staring at her in wonder.

Mia shrugged. "I was just persuasive," she said with a straight face. Neville didn't really believe that but he let it go. He was too relieved at having found Trevor after almost an hour of going up and down the train.

"You can stay here if you want. I think Draco and Harry have gone to see Blaise," she told him as she settled back into her seat with her book.

"You don't mind?" he asked hopefully. He _really_ didn't want to risk the twins taking Trevor again.

" 'Course not. As long as you don't mind the quiet—I'll just be reading."

"Well okay. I'll leave Trevor here and go grab my Herbology book."

"Oh, that's alright. Here, you can borrow mine," she said as she climbed onto her seat and opened her trunk to pull out the book.

They spent the next hour reading peacefully, sharing the chocolate frogs and sugar quills that the boys had left behind. Mia had just decided to go check on her brother and cousin when the compartment door opened once more and the boys ran in. It was time to pull on their robes: they would be arriving in half an hour.

***************

"First years meet outside the train! Quickly now. You, there! Leave your trunk, they will be taken to your room," yelled an older student as she walked down the train. Mia could see the glint of her _Head Girl_ badge on her robes as she got closer.

"Come on, move it firsties. You don't want to get left behind!" came the second shout of a male student, presumable the Head Boy.

"We better get going. Are you boys ready?" she asked as she bent to put an unhappy Artemis back in her carrier. Trevor, thankfully, was back in his own since Neville had returned to his compartment to change.

"Yeah, let's go!" cried Harry excitedly. He held out a hand to his sister, who twisted around and grabbed Draco's hand as well. Once they were sure they wouldn't lose each other in the crowd of students they headed outside.

"Firs' yers! All firs' yers' come wi' me!" bellowed the biggest man Mia had ever seen. He had to be seven feet tall! He had long coarse black hair and the wildest beard he she had ever seen. He was holding a lamp that had to be half her height over the crowd of students as they gathered around him.

"Woahhhh," she heard her brother say as he saw the man.

"Father told me about him. He was expelled from school when he was young and the Headmaster let him stay on as Groundskeeper. Father's been trying to have him fired all year since I'd be coming—says it wasn't safe with someone like him around," Draco said quietly.

Mia threw him a sharp look. "You don't actually believe that rubbish, do you?" she asked him evenly. Draco was a far cry from his father but every so often the prejudices he had grown up with showed through.

"No. No, mother said he was always kind to everyone. Had a penchant for strange pets though," he said as he shook his head and looked back up at the mountain of a man. Mia stared at him a moment before turning back around. Ten minutes later, after the Head Boy and Girl had ensured all students had exited the train, he began to speak once more.

"Alright! We'll be headin' towards the lake. Watch yer step now! And stay together!" he said as he began to lead them downhill.

"Well I hope _I'm_ in Slytherin," Mia heard a girl behind her say.

"What's that?" came the voice of a second girl.

"You mean you don't know? Haven't your parents taught you _anything?"_ she heard the first girl asked with contempt.

"My parents aren't magical," Mia heard the quiet reply.

"Oh, you're a _muggleborn_. My father says that muggleborns shouldn't be allowed to attend school." That was it. Harry had obviously heard the last comment and both she and her brother turned around furious.

The first girl was obviously from a wealthy family—Mia could see her robes were of excellent quality. She was about Mia's height and had short brown hair, brown eyes, and a mouth that was pinched in dislike. Next to her was a witch with strawberry blond hair and dark eyes, clearly her friend. The last girl, the muggleborn they had turned to stare down, had black hair and dark eyes. She had a look of shock on her face from what she had just heard.

"I'm sure what your father thinks will start to count one day. You know, when birds stop singing," replied Mia in a voice so cold, the first girl took a step back.

"You can't speak to me like that! Don't you know who I am?" she asked indignantly after she recovered.

"No. Can't say that I do. Nor can I say that I particularly care," she asked as she gave the girl a once over that found her lacking. _That_ made Draco let out an amused chuckle. Harry, however, was still just glaring fiercely at the girl.

"I'm Violet Rosier! My father is _Lord Rosier_ ," she said, clearly waiting for them to be impressed.

"Hmmmm. Still don't care," Mia replied with total honesty.

"You obviously have no _class_. You should stick with the little muggleborn. No doubt _you'll_ end up in Gryffindor. The _common_ House," she said and with that her and her friend walked away.

"Thank you," replied the girl a bit hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure how she would be received and the girl with the strange eyes seemed very intimidating in that moment. As soon as she spoke, however, her eyes warmed up. The boys on either side of her relaxed, as well, which made her feel much better.

"You're welcome. And don't listen to anything she says. Harry's mum was a muggleborn and Papa says she was _brilliant_. One of the top students in her year. I'm Mia, by the way. Mia Black. This is my brother Harry Potter, and my cousin Draco Malfoy," she told her, pointing the boys accordingly.

"Nicola. Nicola Williams," she said with a smile.

"We best catch up," Harry said as he noticed the students burn around the corner in the path. Mia nodded and turned back around to follow him. They had to jog to catch up but when they finally did, they all stopped once more.

There before them rose Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It stood proudly in the distance, surrounded by the fog that had risen from the lake surrounding it. Mia thought the towers looked tall enough to reach out and touch the stars. It was the most enchanting sight she had ever seen, despite growing up surrounded by magick. She could only imagine how much more overwhelming it must be to all the muggleborns.

"Yer gonna need to get into the boats! No mor' than three to a boat!" bellowed the Groundskeeper.

"Let's go then," Draco said as he grabbed Mia's hand once more. He wanted to get to the sturdier looking boats first.

"We'll see you on the other side!" she turned around to call to Nicola as she was dragged away. The girl gave a faint nod before moving to the boats near her.

Once everyone had successfully climbed into one of the little boats, the Groundskeeper reached down to pick up a pink umbrella from inside his own boat and used it to tap it on the side. And then they were off, gliding smoothly through the water, and quickly approaching the looming castle.

"How on earth are we supposed to find our classes?" asked her brother more than a bit dismayed as the castle's size grew the closer they got.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Draco said, but he didn't sound entirely convinced either.

The boats came together to form a single line as they approached the tunnel set in the Cliffside that disappearing beneath the castle.

"Watch yer heads now!" called back the Groundskeeper as he bent over in half to fit through the tunnel opening.

They were surrounded by complete darkness for a few seconds before the tunnel opened once more to reveal a dock of sorts. There was a small wooden platform attached to the stone steps that led up to what appeared to be a small stone chamber. One by one the boats stopped and let off its occupants before gliding forward once more and disappearing around a bend. When it was finally their turn, Mia hopped out gracefully first before reaching down to pull Harry up. He had a thing about standing up on boats since he fell overboard when he was seven while they were on holiday. Draco, knowing the story, placed a hand on Harry's back and helped steady him as he climbed out behind him. They climbed the stone steps and joined the students that had already gathered there. Mia could see large doors leading into the castle and, she assumed, the Sorting ceremony beyond.

"Right, yer to wait here for the professor. Welcome to Hogwarts!" boomed the man as he got back into his boat and floated down the tunnel.

"Mia!" she heard someone call behind her. She turned around and saw Neville, struggling to get through the throng of students. She smiled at him and turned around to tell Harry when she saw he had been cornered by the same girls as before.

" _You're_ Harry Potter. I'm Violet Rosier and this is my friend Kaya Rowle. It's so nice to meet you," Violet said with a fake smile.

"Hmmm. Sorry, can't say the same," he said in the same voice his sister had used with her before. Mia snickered when she realized it had been too dark for the girls to see who he was before. They thought they were meeting for the first time.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" she heard Violet snap at her.

"It's just a bit amusing, is all. How dense you are, I mean," Mia told her with an angelic smile. At this, both girls' faced turned red and they moved to face her fully.

"You don't know who you're talking to. You really should learn your place. What's your name anyway?" Violet snapped at her.

"Mia. Mia Black. That's my brother Harry. And that charming fellow right there is my cousin Draco Malfoy. So you see, Violet. I know who your father is. It just doesn't matter much," she said with a voice that had turned as cold as her stare.

Both girls' faces had gone pale knowing who they had been antagonizing this entire time. Violet, however, had apparently decided that she would not go down without a fight.

"Oh you're the one that Lord Black…took in. What? Did your own parents not want you? I mean you have those freakish eyes. Don't know why Lord Black would want someone like _you_ ," she said with cruelly. The students had began to whisper excitedly to themselves when her brother's name had rang out but, after Violet's words you could have heard a pin drop.

Mia's face had tightened for a second before it smoothed out into an emotionless mask. Harry looked livid, like he was ready to put Mr. Traver's training to the test. Draco looked like he could have shot an _Avada_ with his eyes. He had just taken a step when the doors opened and out walked an older witch wearing square spectacles and emerald robes. Mia could see her black hair was pulled back into a severe bun that made her already stern expression worse.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked tartly, a slight brogue shining through in her voice. She narrowed her eyes at the group in the middle, clearly aware that they were the instigators of whatever was happening. They all shook their heads, however, so she continued speaking.

"Well, in that case let's get started. I am Professor McGonagall and welcome to Hogwarts. You will accompany me down the hall and into the Great Hall, where you will be Sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindore, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. After you are sorted, you can join your House and take a seat. The start-of-term feast will begin once everyone has been Sorted. I expect you will be able to behave yourselves in an appropriate manner as we enter. Any questions? No? Then let's not keep everyone waiting." With that she turned sharply and began to move into the castle proper, expecting the students to fall in line behind her.

Violet and her friend Kaya hurried to the front of the line, realizing that was the safest place for them at the moment. Harry, still seething, put his arm around Mia as they walked. She gave him a small smile in thanks before she turned to look straight ahead.

"Don't listen to her. She doesn't know anything," Draco leaned over to whisper before grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I know," she told him quietly. It was not the first time Mia had heard this line of comments, she just hadn't expected it _here._ Usually they came from middle-aged people whispering in the corners of her father's parties, not children her own age. She didn't have much time to dwell on that, however, because just then the doors ahead of them opened and she got her first look at the Great Hall.

The room was enormous, filled with four rows of long tables under the four banners levitating above them. The staff table was at the front of the room under large frosted windows; it was raised up on a small stone stage of sorts so the professors could oversee the students. What held Mia's attention, though, were the hundreds of floating candles that hovered under the enchanted ceiling. It reminded her of her bedroom ceiling at home, expect where hers was meant to show the Alya constellation, this one showed the entire night sky as it was outside.

"I read that it changes to show the weather outside," Harry whispered beside her.

Mia felt her brows raise in surprised at that and lowered her gaze to look at him. "I read too, you know. Sometimes," he said defensively.

"It's quite amazing," she told him as she looked back up at it. She snapped her attention to the front, however, when she heard the professor begin to speak. She held an unrolled parchment as she looked out over the group of first years.

"The Sorting Ceremony will now commence." With that she placed an old hat on the stool before her and stepped back.

' _So that's the Sorting Hat. I thought it'd be…grander,'_ she thought as she looked at the worn and graying hat. She was just about to tell Draco so when the hat opened its mouth and cleared its throat before suddenly bursting into song.

" _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_  
 _But don't judge on what you see,_  
 _I'll eat myself if you can find_  
 _A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_   
_Your top hats sleek and tall,_   
_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_   
_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_   
_The Sorting Hat can't see,_   
_So try me on and I will tell you_   
_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_   
_Where dwell the brave at heart,_   
_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_   
_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_   
_Where they are just and loyal,_   
_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_   
_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_   
_if you've a ready mind,_   
_Where those of wit and learning,_   
_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perchance in noble Slytherin,_   
_Where silver tongues abound,_

_Their cunning, smarts, and patience,_

_Will lead you to astound;_

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_   
_And don't get in a flap!_   
_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_   
_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

After the hat finished the song, the Great Hall broke out in thunderous applause that took a few minutes to die down. Once it had ceased, the professor stepped forward once more, unrolled the sheet of parchment she had been carrying and picked up the Sorting Hat. "As I call your name, please take a seat on the stool so you may be placed in your House. Hannah Abbott."

A small girl with curly blond hair quickly walked to the front of the room and sat down on the stool before the professor. The professor placed the hat on the girl's head, where it promptly slipped down and covered her eyes. After about five seconds it opened its mouth and yelled,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Next came Marie Bell who went to Gryffindor. That time the hat had barely touched her head before it had shouted out its decision. Mia was wondering why that was when she heard her own name being called.

"Mia Black"

She felt her stomach fill with nerves but made sure it didn't show on her face. Her Aunt Cissy would be proud to see her lessons had taken with the little witch. Mia could hear clearly the words her aunt had spoken as they practiced in front of the mirror while Harry and Draco did their best to upset her. _'A Lady of Houses such as ours must always present a confident front. You are the heir of a Noble House, darling, and everyone who looks at you must be reminded of what that means: strength and power.'_

So Mia squared her shoulders and walked to the stool with her chin held high. She sat down primly and waited for the hat to be placed over her head. She did _not_ expect it to _talk_ , however. Her father had neglected to tell her that bit.

' _Ahhh let's see what we have here. Oh, plenty of intelligence and a thirst for knowledge, yes. You would do well with Rowena's brood. The discipline, the wit, it's all there. But what's this? Oh my, my, my dearie. Look at the secrets you keep. Such cunning and strength it takes you to keep them hidden. Oh yes, you will do whatever you need to in order to protect those you love. Such a sly little witch you can be, isn't that right? Oh, no use trying to hide, I see it all. Yes, you might do well with Rowena's children but if you're to have a chance at keeping your secrets I better make it….._

"SLYTHERIN!" she heard the hat bellow, which made the whole room break out in whispers. It was no secret that her father had been unofficially disowned after he renounced his family ties when he was sorted into Gryffindor. And here his daughter was, being sorted into the House he had hated most.

' _Hope I never have to do that again,'_ she thought fervently as the professor took off the hat and she walked to the Slytherin table. Her heart had nearly stopped when the house mentioned her secrets. She walked all the way to the end of one of the Slytherin tables, not wanting to talk to any of the older students. She ignored all the whispers around her and turned to watch the rest of the Sorting.

One by one the students were called up to the stool and efficiently placed into a House. Dozens of students were sorted before Neville wound up in Gryffindor, which would no doubt delight his grandmother. When Draco was called up he was quickly sent to Slytherin and made his way to her side, throwing his arm around her as they waited for Harry's turn. After about ten other students, Professor McGonagall finally got to his name.

"Harry Potter"

And the hall went silent. Mia fidgeted with her necklace with one hand and grabbed Draco's hand with the other, too busy looking at her brother to notice his wince of pain at her strong grip. It wouldn't really matter where Harry ended up, but she desperately wanted him with her. She held her breath, waiting for the hat to call out its decision—only it didn't happen.

"Hatstall" she heard some of the older students murmur in interest. She had no idea what that meant but she knew Harry would hate the added attention it would no doubt bring. Two more minutes went by before she finally saw the hat's mouth open.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Mia's shoulders lost their rigid set and she finally let go of Draco's hand, who immediately began to massage his numb fingers. She gave him an apologetic look before she was distracted by the hum of whispers that seemed to be growing in intensity. If _her_ Sorting was guaranteed to fuel the gossip mill, Harry's would turn it ablaze. Before she could contemplate this long, however, she felt Harry drop down on her other side and give her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Relax, as if I would end up anywhere else," he told her with a smirk. She gave a relieved laugh and turned forward once more as the ceremony continued.

She was not happy, although not surprised, when Violet and Kaya ended up in Slytherin. Thankfully there were no empty seats around them and they sat at the last table, far enough away that Mia didn't have the urge to stab them with her fork. The twins ended up in Gryffindor, which surprised her. She had thought for sure with their intelligence and sneakiness it would be between Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

' _Poor Neville will have to live with them,'_ she thought as she turned to look at her friend three tables over. He looked quite pale, as though he had just had the same realization. She soon saw Nicola take a seat beside him, having obviously been sorted with lions as well.

Blaise was the last to be sorted and he joined them in Slytherin, squeezing in between the students that sat across the table from Mia and the boys. He grinned as he threw a wink at Mia, obviously seeing her disappointed look. Mia rolled her eyes and turned to face the front of the Great Hall as the Headmaster stood from his seat and waved his wand in front of his throat before his voice boomed out.

"Welcome! Welcome to our new students who are ready and eager to learn! And welcome, too, to you returning students who have no doubt used the summer to empty out your heads once more! I know you are anxious to enjoy the feast, but a few words and announcements first. Please join me in welcoming our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirinus Quirrell!" A man about halfway down the table stood up with a nervous smile. He was of medium height and pale, with a large purple turban wrapped around his head. Professor Dumbledore waited for the polite applause to die down before he continued with a smile.

"Yes. Welcome Professor. Now, a reminder that the Forbidden Forrest is off limits to students, _new or returning_ , unless specifically instructed otherwise. Our wonderful Caretaker, Argus Filch, would also like me to remind you that all joke products are banned in the school hallways and will be confiscated on sight. Lastly, this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death," he said with a bland smile. Mia stared at him in disbelief, convinced he was about to start laughing at his joke. All he did, however, was clap his hands once before he continued. "Now then. I'll leave you with a few words to contemplate over our delicious feast: gook, dwak, timble." With that the tables suddenly filled with food of every sort imaginable and students across the Hall turned to dig in.

"That was…interesting," Draco drawled at last as he reached for some shepherd's pie.

"You don't think he was serious, do you? With the bit about a painful death? He couldn't have been serious," exclaimed Harry more than a bit apprehensive at the thought of getting lost and ending up dead.

"You never know with the Headmaster," one of the older students said as he leaned over to get to the rolls by Harry's elbow. "My brother swears that he filled a whole room with Boggarts once while he was in school. Something about research for the Defense professor of the time," he said with a shrug. "I'm Marcus, by the way. Marcus Flint, fourth year."

"Is that even _legal_?" asked Harry alarmed.

"I dunno. Then again, isn't much anyone can do about how Dumbledore runs the school. One of the best Headmasters the school's had in decades." With that he turned back around to his friends.

"You're awfully quiet about this Mia," Harry said as he finally turned to face her. Mia, however, had discovered that there was chocolate mousse among the desserts and was wholly unconcerned with their troubles.

" 'm Sure it will be fine," she finally mumbled distractedly as she took another delicious bite, causing the boys to shake their heads in amusement as they dug into their own food. Much later, after she had eaten actual food and dived back in for another chocolate mousse, the Headmaster stood once more.

"What an excellent meal our house-elves have prepared once more. Now, if you could please stand and join me, I'd like to end this wonderful night with our school songs. Pick your favorite tune and…we're off!" he said as he waved his wand in the air and the lyrics to the song appeared. Mia chose her favorite _Weird Sisters_ song as she began to sing along.

_Hogwarts , Hogwarts , Hoggy Warty Hogwarts ,_   
_Teach us something please ,_   
_Whether we be old and bald ,_   
_Or young with scabby knees ,_   
_Our heads could do with filling ,_   
_With some interesting stuff ,_   
_For now they ' re bare and full of air ,_   
_Dead flies and bits of fluff ,_   
_So teach us things worth knowing ,_   
_Bring back what we ' ve forgot ,_   
_Just do your best , we ' ll do the rest ,_   
_And learn until our brains all rot_

The twins had apparently picked a funeral march and were the last to finish, with Professor Dumbldore smiling in great amusement as their final notes rang out. "Excellent range Misters Weasley! Now, everyone is dismissed. Prefects, please gather your first years and take them to your common rooms. Breakfast will be served at 7:30, with classes beginning at 9a.m. sharp!" he said loudly as students began to stand and exit the Hall.

"First years, come with me!" said a tall girl with dark skin who had her hair braided back. She stood at the end of the table and did a headcount before turning around and following the rest of the student body out. She didn't say much but she did stop every so often to make sure she hadn't lost anyone along the way. Finally, when they had travelled through a couple of corridors, they reached the stairs that led down to the dungeons.

"I'm Jade Rourke, sixth year prefect. I hope you were paying attention because you'll need to know how to get to breakfast in the morning. Our common room is in the dungeons, as you might have already guessed. It can get quite damp down here so—watch your step now, girl—so you might want to make sure to wear a jumper under your robes. The common room itself is quite comfortable as the elves keep the fires going throughout the day. Your timetables will be handed out tomorrow at breakfast by our Head, so leave enough time to come back for your books. Right then, here we are," she said as she led them behind a wall. All Mia could see when she looked at what Jade was looking at, however, was a bare _solid_ stone wall.

"Neidr" she said and the first years gasped in awe as the wall seemed to _melt_ before them. "Remember that password, it's the only way to open the common room and it is _not_ a fun experience to sleep on the damp ground. Horatio here can attest to it" she said with a chuckle as an older student stepped out of the common room and the wall formed once again.

"It happened _one_ time," grumbled the boy before turning to look at the first years. "I'm Horatio Jones and I'm a sixth year prefect for our House as well. Now, a few quick things before we go inside. Our Head of House is waiting to talk to you. Do not speak while he is speaking. Do not show disrespect. Find a seat and be quiet. He will answer whatever questions you have afterwards," he told them seriously before stepping aside and speaking the password once more.

The inside of the common room was very different from what Mia expected. She quickly took a seat on one of the couches and looked around intrigued. It was big and well-lit, filled with roaring fires and comfortable looking armchairs and couches. She could see more than a few study tables spread about the room, as well as a bookcase with several texts. The strangest part, really, were the windows. She didn't even think the dungeon could _have_ windows. They glowed a strange murky green and she saw something suddenly dart through on the outside.

' _That was a fish,'_ she thought taken aback. _'We're beneath the lake and that was a fish. This is so strange."_

"Welcome," she heard a familiar deep and silky voice say. When she turned around she saw Professor Snape get up from one of the arm chairs. It took her a few seconds to recognize him because he looked quite different now; he had formal robes on and was now clean-shaven. "I am Professor Snape, Hogwart's Potions Master. I am also your Head of House, as you have no doubt been informed. A few rules I would like to go over: You are to never leave the common room alone, nor are you to wander about the castle without a companion. Our House is not looked upon…favorably by some and there will be those who may make their feelings known. Should that happen, you are to notify a prefect, the Head Girl, or myself. In that order," he told them as he began to pace slowly around the room. When his gaze landed on her he looked down and seemed to falter, making Mia realize she had begun to nervously fidget with her necklace once more.

' _He probably thinks I wasn't paying attention,'_ she thought as she threw him an apologetic look. He stared at her a second longer before he continued with his pacing, as well as his speech.

"I will not suffer in-house fighting, we have enough conflict to deal with to be bothering with petty squabbles. If you have an issue, fix it. If you do not care for someone, ignore them. But I will not have hexes or spells thrown about. I expect you to be on your best behavior in class and assignments to be handed in on time. Should you find you are struggling with a subject, Prefects and older students will be available for tutoring before dinner for two hours. You will find them seated at the tables and ready to help. This means there are no excuses for poor marks in this House," he said firmly.

"Lastly, my office is always open to students should you have need. All conversations are confidential, so you need not worry about what you say. The girls' dormitory is to the right, the boys' to the left. The first two room in either hallway house the first years. Your name will be written beside the door so you know which one you will be staying in. Your trunks and pets have been brought up and you will find them at the foot of your bed. Any questions? No? Then I will see you tomorrow in the Great Hall to give you your timetables. Goodnight," he said as he shot Mia one last fleeting look before walking out.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat," said Harry as he stood up. "Draco, mate, let's go get check out what room we're in and meet the other snakes" he said with a grin.

Mia stood up and gave him a quick hug, using the opportunity to whisper in his ear. "Don't forget the silencing spell." Harry gave a small smile before nodding his head. Draco yawned and gave her a quick peck before he followed Harry out.

' _Might as well get this over with,'_ she thought unenthusiastically as she headed towards her room. Sure enough, she would be with her two new friends and they were already waiting for her. They were sat on the first bed and as soon as Mia walked in Violet stood to get in her way.

"Oh look. It's the castaway," she said with a sneer.

' _This is going to be a long year,'_ Mia thought.

She looked at the girl in silence for a moment before she spoke. "That took you the entire feast to come up with, didn't it?" she asked with fake concern.

Violet turned red before she took another step closer to Mia. "I don't care if your dad is Lord Black. _You_ don't matter and I'm not afraid of you," she said scathingly.

Mia closed the distance between them before giving her a chilling smile. 'You should be."

Perhaps it was the smile, or the way her eyes glowed a bit at her words, but whatever it was Violet took an instinctive step back and moved out of her way. When she realized what she'd done she blushed once more before turning away with a grumble.

Mia walked over to her bed and took out Artemis, carefully placing the kitten on her bed. She looked around and noticed there were two more beds in their room. She had no idea who they belonged to as she hadn't really taken a good look at the list outside the door. Deciding that she would find out soon enough, she leaned down to open her trunk and took out her pajamas. She was quite exhausted and she needed to be up early if she wanted to have a shot at the communal bathroom. She had just finished changing and was about to crawl into bed when the last two girls finally bounced in.

They were both pretty in very different ways. The first one had long blond hair and was a bit fuller than the average girl. She had delicate aristocratic features and pale green eyes. The second girl, by contrast, was on the taller side with short black hair and light brown eyes. They were laughing quietly at something as they walked in before Violet sprang up to introduce herself.

"Hello, I'm Violet Rosier. This is my friend Kaya Rowle," she said almost stepping on the blond girl in her haste to get close.

"Oh, uh, hello. I'm Pansy Parkinson," she said a bit startled.

"Millicent Bulstrode," said the dark-haired girl quietly, looking at the new girls.

"And you are?" asked Pansy as she saw Mia in the back of the room.

"Oh, she's not important, if you ask me" Violet said dismissively before Mia could answer.

"Oh, I but I _didn't_ ask you, did I?" replied Pansy as her voice turned sharp. Mia looked up at that and decided she liked her.

"I'm Mia. Mia Black. Pleasure to meet you," she said with a small smile that was returned immediately by Pansy.

Millicent and Pansy both walked over to her, effectively ignoring Violet's sputtering, and sat on her bed.

"Can't stand rude people," muttered Pansy to her. "Oh, a kitten! Oh, I almost didn't see him under your pillow," she exclaimed suddenly.

"Her actually. Her name's Artemis," she told her as she extracted her cat from her bed.

Millicent snorted at that and reached down to pet her. "She's gorgeous. She has very strange eyes though. I've never seen anything like them," she said quietly. Pansy hummed her agreement as she leaned forward to pet her as well.

"Have you two known each other long?" Mia finally asked them.

"Sure. I've known Millie since we were little girls. Our mothers met at some event, you see, and found out we were the same age. We've practically grown up together," Pansy answered. She was clearly the more social of the two. "I love your eyes, by the way. They're quite pretty. A bit unsettling, but very pretty," she suddenly told her.

Mia blushed at the unexpected compliment. "Oh, uh, thanks."

"Don't pay attention to them. I've heard her older sister is just as nasty. She was in the same year as my brother, you see. Anthony couldn't stand her," she whispered to Mia as she looked over at the girls behind them.

"I feel sorry for your brother," she muttered under her breath, making both girls giggle.

"Yes, well I do too now. Don't worry though. I've been handling horrid people for a long time. My cousin Geraldine is a nightmare," she said with a shudder.

"We better get ready for bed. Have to be up early tomorrow," Millicent finally said.

"Yes, you're right," Pansy agreed with a sigh. "Well it was nice to meet you Mia. I think we're going to get along fine. Goodnight," she said with a smile. Millicent gave her a hesitant smile before moving away as well and heading towards her trunk. Mia returned the gesture before reaching around to close her bed drapes so she could settle in. Artemis quickly padded over to her and proceeded to burrow into her curls.

' _At least I won't be outnumbered,'_ was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep.


	11. Start of Term

**2 September, 1991**

Mia woke up bright and early at six the next morning. She used the spell her father had taught her to turn her wand into an alarm—it was much easier now that she didn't have to do it wandlessly. She knew no one else would be awake so early, but that was the point. She wanted to take a shower while she could, before the other four girls woke up and claimed the bathroom. She quickly peeled Artemis off her and quietly crept out of bed to kneel by her trunk. She snapped it open and took out her toiletries and bathrobe before silently creeping through the bathroom door. She was curious to see what their communal bathroom would be like; she hadn't had a chance to look at it yet since she'd been so tired the night before, she had simply fallen into bed.

"Oh."

The bathroom was _huge._ It had to be as big as their dorm room—if not bigger. The whole room was done in white with accents of pastel green and silver. It appeared to be partitioned into two sections: to the right were four roomy toilet stalls against the wall and to the left were four giant shower stalls. There was a half-wall that separated the two sections, set with a large counter running across the length of the room and mirrors on both sides. She could see towels folded on a table neatly by the door, as well as what looked to be two a large claw-foot bathtubs hidden behind half-closed curtains in the corner.

"Well at least there won't be any fighting," she said out loud as she stepped towards one of the shower stalls. She showered quickly and brushed her teeth before going back into the room. Pansy was just rousing and she blinked sleepily at her as she passed by her bed.

"Morning," she said, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Good morning. Plenty of space in the bathroom if you need it," Mia told her with an amused smile as she got a look at the girl's hair. Apparently, she wasn't the only one that could create a bird's nest overnight. Pansy nodded slowly as she sat up in bed and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked Mia as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall and saw it was still fifteen minutes to seven.

Mia shrugged as she turned around to get dressed. "I wanted to get to the bathroom first. I didn't get a chance to see it last night and didn't know if it'd be big enough for all of us."

"Oh, that's smart. Is it? Big enough, I mean?" Pansy said as she got out of bed and opened her trunk.

"Uh-huh. Now that I know I'll probably sleep in tomorrow," she answered as Pansy walked into the bathroom herself. Mia pulled on her collared shirt and bent down to pick up her school tie when she noticed it was no longer black. It had now sported alternating stripes of emerald and silver, with the Slytherin crest imprinted as a pattern. When she looked at her robes, she noticed the crest had also appeared over her right breast, with the snake's tongue darting out occasionally. She shrugged her shoulders as she put them on, figuring they had changed last night but she just hadn't noticed.

Mia was dressed and ready to go when Patsy walked out of the bathroom and walked over to wake up Millicent. The girl opened her eyes and grumbled as she pulled herself out of bed and began to get dressed. Mia snickered quietly and was putting on her necklace when Patsy looked over.

"That's a rather unique necklace. Where'd you get it? Oh, it _moves_ ," she said delighted as she watched the snake tighten its coils.

"It was a birthday gift from my father," she lied smoothly.

"Well it's beautiful," the girl told her with a smile as she went to get dressed. Their talking must have woken Violet and Kaya because they received baleful glares before the girls glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed. Kaya had been in such a hurry that her foot got tangled in her sheets and she fell out of bed with a yelp. When she got up her face was practically scarlet and she ducked to get her things before rushing into the bathroom.

Mia was still chuckling quietly to herself when got a book from her trunk, picked up Artemis, and headed to the common room. It was still half an hour before breakfast started so there weren't many students currently in the room. She saw a few older years gathered around one of the tables, most likely catching up after the summer. Mia looked around and went to sit in one of the armchairs by the fire. Artemis climbed up until she had claimed her spot under Mia's hair and stayed there while her owner read.

She had been quietly reading for about twenty minutes when the boys finally emerged from the boys' corridor. Mia, however, didn't notice until she felt someone tug hard on one of the curls that had escaped her braid. She looked up sharply, ready to tell off whoever had done it, when she noticed it was Blaise.

"Do _not_ pull my hair. We're not seven anymore," she snapped at him as her brother and Draco snickered behind him.

"We did try saying your name, you know," he told her with a grin. "Harry thought you just needed a tug to snap you out of your book."

When Mia turned to look at her brother, he was furiously shaking his head.

"Hmphh." Mia closed her book, placed Artemis on the floor, and went to leave the common room. She might have grown up with Blaise, but she wasn't a fan of how he treated her sometimes.

"Mia, I didn't tell him to do it!" Harry cried as he hurried to catch up to her. "Besides, how are you getting to the Great Hall? You don't know the way. Some of the older boys said they would show us the way when they left," he said glancing back as the wall solidified behind their group once more.

"I know the way. Weren't you paying attention last night?" she snapped, still annoyed with them. It was rather tedious being the only girl sometimes.

"Uh….I was taking it all in?" Harry tried.

"Mate, just tell her the truth. We were busy trying not to fall into a food coma," Draco said with a laugh.

Mia just rolled her eyes and began to climb the steps that would take them out of the dungeons. She led them down the various corridors, pointing out statues or paintings to look for when they were trying to find their own way.

When they made it to the Great Hall, it was not as empty as she would have expected. Ravenclaw seemed to have the most students present, but there was quite a scattering among the other Houses. Mia sat down in one of the tables closest to the entrance and quickly grabbed a plate that she filled with fruit and a banana nut muffin. The boys sat across from her and quickly began to pile their plates with eggs and sausages. They'd been eating for about ten minutes when she felt someone sit down beside.

"How on earth did you get up here on your own? Millie and I got lost twice," Pansy told her as she reached for some cereal.

"I remembered the way from last night. I'll show you later, if you want," she told her after taking a sip of her orange juice.

"That would be great," she said with a smile before turning to look at the boys.

"Hello, I'm Pansy. This is Millie, we're Mia's roommates," she said pointing to herself and her friend.

"That's my brother Harry, my cousin Draco, and our stray Blaise," Mia said she pointed at the boys who all were in the middle of chewing their food. At her introduction, however, Blaise began to choke on his toast until Draco finally turned to pound his back. When he was finally able to breathe, he turned to look at Mia.

"See, now that hurts Mia. We've known each other since we were five!" he said as he placed a hand over his heart.

"Sure have. And I've been trying to get rid of you since," she deadpanned, making Pansy and Millicent laugh.

They continued to chat as they ate until their Prefect, Jade, began walking down the tables calling for the first years to stand up and gather at the front of the Hall in five minutes. When they followed her there, they saw Professor Snape waiting with the prefects and a few first years.

"These are your timetables. I expect you to be on time to your first class of the day, as it is with _me_. If you do not know the way, you are welcome to walk with me when I leave in a few minutes. There is a rough map of the castle on the back but be wary of the staircases—they like to move. Jade and Horatio will be giving a tour of the castle and its grounds after lunch—I highly recommend you join them." With that he began to hand out the parchment that had their classes.

When he got to Mia and Harry, he paused. "I see your Uncle won the bet," he told her with a slight twitch of his lips.

She smiled brightly in return before she answered. "Two bets, actually. He was sure Harry would be with me as well," she said as she glanced at her brother.

"Ah yes. Mr. Potter. Our very own celebrity," he said in a mocking voice. "I trust you know there will be no special treatment in my class," he told Harry with a hard stare.

"Yes, sir. Never expect any," her brother answered truthfully.

Mia couldn't shake the feeling that her professor seemed to be evaluating her brother—almost like he was looking for something. Whatever it was, he must have found it because he moved on to the rest of the students.

"How do you know Professor Snape?" asked Draco quietly.

"Bumped into him while I was in the Apothecary with my uncle," she told him with a shrug as she looked down at her timetable.

**Breakfast**

M – F 7:30a.m. – 9:00a.m.

Sat, Sun 8:00a.m. – 9:30a.m.

**Lunch** 1:00p.m. – 2:00p.m.

**Dinner** 7:00p.m. – 8:30p.m.

**Monday**

09:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. Potions, Ravenclaw

10:30a.m. – 11:30a.m. Transfiguration, Gryffindor

02:30p.m. – 04:30p.m. Herbology, Hufflepuff

**Tuesday:**

09:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. Charms, Hufflepuff

10:30a.m. – 11:30a.m. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ravenclaw

02:30p.m. – 03:30p.m. History of Magick, ALL

11:00p.m. – 12:00a.m. Astronomy, Ravenclaw

**Wednesday**

09:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. Transfiguration, Ravenclaw

02:30p.m. – 03:30p.m. Herbology, Gryffindor

11:00p.m. – 12:00a.m. Astronomy, Hufflepuff

**Thursday**

09:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. Flying, Gryffindor

10:30a.m. – 12:30p.m. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gryffindor

03:30p.m. – 05:30p.m History of Magick, ALL

**Friday**

09:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. Potions, Gryffindor

02:30p.m. – 04:30p.m. Charms, Hufflepuff

11:00p.m. – 12:00a.m. Astronomy, Ravenclaw

 

"We have class in the middle of the night?" asked Blaise in dismay.

"I imagen it's quite difficult to see the stars in the day," replied Draco dryly, making Mia snicker.

"Better go get our books before the professor leaves," Millicent told her as she nodded in the direction of the entrance. They all quickly returned to their common room before going to wait by the dungeon stairs as they waited for the professor. He strode down a few minutes later, expression foreboding, being trailed by the Ravenclaw and Slytherin first years. They quickly fell in line and began to follow.

"I don't remember him being this intimidating," Mia whispered to Pansy.

"My brother said he's always like this around the other students," she whispered back.

' _I wonder why that is,'_ she thought as she looked back up to see him swooping into a classroom.

"Take a seat," he commanded the students. The Ravenclaws lost no time before scuttling away to the back of the classroom, leaving the Slytherins to suffer their Head.

The classroom had long tables that sat two students per potion station and there was a chalkboard at the front of the classroom behind the professor's desk. The more she looked around, the more she realized it reminded her a bit of the Apothecary from the alley. There were shelves running across three of the walls that were filled with jars that had mysterious bits floating in them, or strange plants that glowed. She was pretty sure more than a few had things that were actually alive.

Mia chose one of the front tables and took a seat, not surprised when Harry sat next to her. Draco and Blaise took the table behind them while Pansy and Millie took the one to their left. The other twenty or so students partnered up and filled into the rest of the open stools.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving in my classroom," he said as he began to walk down one of the aisles. "The magick we will perform here will be subtle and requires the full use of your faculties. Here, it is possible to produce brews that can creep through veins until they bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. Should you prove to possess a modicum of mediocrity, I can show you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death. Such is the nature of this subject, however, that all of this carries a risk of…injury," he said as he stopped in front of his desk once more. "Therefore, should I suspect you of negligence, you will be asked to leave my classroom. I will not have you endangering your life, or those of your classmates, because you lack discipline." The scowl he gave the room at large was quite fierce, no doubt already anticipating such an occurrence.

"So there is no question about what is permissible during a brewing day, we will review safety procedures and expectations. First, I will ask students with long hair to bring something to keep it tied back to prevent it going up in flames…

"It'd be an improvement over that nest _Princess Black_ calls hair," she heard Violet say to Kaya in the table over as she threw a look at Mia.

"Ms. Rosier, have I given the impression that I am done speaking," Professor Snape's snapped out.

"No, sir. Sorry, sir, I was just answering a question Mia had. She doesn't think she'd do well in this class, you see. Doesn't think she's bright enough for it, can't say I blame her of course" she said with a sweet smile.

"Ms. Rosier, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he asked in a silky voice.

"I-I don't know, sir," Violet stammered out.

"Pity. Ms. Black?" he asked as he turned to look at Mia.

"A sleeping potion, sir. Draught of the Living Death, to be precise," she replied promptly, thankful she had finished reading her textbook before the start of term. Although they wouldn't be making the potion this year, it was mentioned in the Appendix.

"And Ms. Black, where would you look if I asked you to find me a Bezoar?" he asked as he rounded to stand in front of her table.

"The stomach of a goat, sir. It's a stone used as an antidote to most poisons." Mia could practically feel the heat from Violet's glare as it bored into the side of her head.

"Quite right. Now, what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?", the professor asked with a twitch of his lips, as though thinking of an inside joke.

"They're the same sir. They're just different names for the same plant, I mean," she told him confidently. She had been around the components of her uncle's potion almost her entire childhood. She could name every single ingredient and their properties.

"Ten points to Slytherin. Ms. Rosier, I am sure Ms. Black is more than capable of handling this class as you can see. In the future, please refrain from interrupting me with your trivial chatter," he said with a cold voice before he resumed his safety speech.

They spent the rest of the lesson learning where they could store their cauldrons, scales, and ingredients, as well as where he professor kept ingredients that were available for student use. They took notes as he handed out the class syllabus and by the time he dismissed them, he had already assigned them their first essay.

"Can't believe we have to write eight inches on _stirring_ ," grumbled Blaise as they all rose to leave the classroom. Draco decided to stay behind to talk to Pansy and Millie.

"Stirring is important. The direction and speed can determine whether your potion will actually work," Mia told him in a tone that suggested he should already know that.

"Look, not everyone can be such a bloody swot and read the whole book before class even starts," he snapped back at her irritated.

"Watch it, mate," Harry warned him.

"I'm surprised you can read, to be honest," she replied coldly.

"You must think you're so _clever_ ," came the hiss behind them. They turned to see Violet exiting the classroom, a small group of students behind her.

"Now and then, yes. It's easier when you're around though," Mia said casually.

"I don't appreciate being made to look stupid," Violet all but snarled. Her face was flushed and she took a step toward Mia, her little buddies shadowing her every step.

"It didn't look like she needed to try very hard," snickered Harry. He was watching Mia carefully, making sure the idiot girl didn't push his sister too much.

"Oh look, the freakish swot has her Scarhead brother to defend her," came the voice of one of the Ravenclaws. Xavier Reid, Mia thought his name was.

"I don't need anyone to defend me," Mia said calmly.

"Oh of course not. The brown nose would _never_ hide behind the professor's robes. You might be used to being treated like royalty because you're a Black, but that won't help you _here_ ," Violet sneered.

"And you might be used to these little displays working to get you what you want, but that won't work with _me,"_ Mia told her as she took a step closer to the girl. "You see, Violet. You're just a dimwitted nasty girl who has more pride and entitlement than sense. Don't waste your time trying to 'show me my place'. It won't work because _I_ decide what my place is," she said with a hard voice. She refused to let this spoiled brat treat her as anything less than she was: the future Lady Black.

Before Violet could form a reply, Professor Snape stepped out of his classroom and stopped when he saw the group that was still there.

"And what is going on here?" he asked with a deceptively mild tone. Mia could see he was not happy.

"Nothing, sir." Mia said without missing a beat.

Snape stared between her and Violet for a second before addressing the group. "Everyone off to the next class. Except you, Miss Black, Miss Rosier. You two will step into the classroom."

The students started to walk away but Harry lingered, obviously intent on waiting for his sister.

"Mr. Potter, I assure you, your sister will survive without you. Not get to class before I deduct points from my own House." When Harry just looked at Mia instead, she quickly nodded for him to leave before the professor went through with his threat.

When they went into the classroom, Professor Snape moved to sit at his desk and waited for the two girls to approach. He stared at them hard for a few moments, making them squirm before he said anything.

"I assume you were both present last night when I gave my little speech in the common room?" He finally asked.

"Yes, sir,"

"Hmmm. I thought so. Tell me again girls, what did I say about in-house fighting?" he asked as he leaned forward in his desk.

"That there shouldn't be any, sir," Mia said quietly.

"Hmmm, yes. And do recall that fact as well, Miss Rosier?" he asked as he turned his glare at the girl. When she nodded, he stood from his chair and began to pace behind his desk. "Ah, so you do. Then one of you has best explain why I came across that little…scene outside of my classroom when I thought I was _quite_ clear on the matter last night."

"Sir, it was noth—"

"Oh, it didn't look like _nothing_ Miss Rosier. It _looked_ like in-house fighting. I will tell you what I told you last night: fix it. I do not care if you do not speak to each other for the rest of your time here at Hogwarts, but I will not have petty squabbles in my House. If I hear or see another scene like that again, you will be spending your evenings in detention with Mr. Filch. Do I make myself clear?" he asked, his voice hard.

"Yes, sir." Mia said quietly.

"Miss Rosier?"

"Won't happen again, sir." Violet finally muttered.

"Excellent. Now get to your next class. You're dismissed."

The girls left his classroom and stopped outside once more when the door closed behind them. They looked at each other for a few moments, both their faces showing their displeasure about the situation.

"I don't relish detention because you can't shut up," Mia finally told her coldly.

"I don't plan on spending my evenings with Filch either," snapped Violet.

"Well then, keep your nasty little comments to yourself. If I remember correctly, he did say we could ignore people we didn't like. I'm perfectly capable of doing so, if you are,"

"Fine, _Princess_ _Black_. But you should know no one here likes you. You better get used to ignoring everyone." With that, she walked away from Mia.

Mia quickly made her way to the common room to leave her things before trekking up the stairs in search of the Transfigurations classroom. She had no idea where to head, however, until one of the older students directed her to the second-floor left corridor. When she got there, she saw a group of Gryffindor students already waiting outside the closed door. She looked around for her brother, but didn't spot his messy black hair anywhere.

"Hey Nev," she said when caught sight of him. "Oh, hey Nicola," she smiled when she saw the girl was with her friend.

"Hello," she said with a big grin. "You can call me Nicky, you know. My mum only calls me Nicola when I'm in trouble." It was nice to see the girl's previous hesitation was gone.

"Hey Mia, where're Draco and Harry?" he asked as he got closer.

"No idea. They'll show up eventually. Or they won't," she said with an unconcerned shrug.

"There's our favorite witch! The wonderful,—"

"—the incredible, the beautiful, Mia Black!" she heard moments before she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her.

"Stop that," she said as she slapped their arms and stepped away from them.

"Mia! You wound us," cried George dramatically as he fell back into Fred's arms.

"Look what you've done now witch. You've broken him," Fred said as he fanned at his brother's face and held him up.

"Who are they?" asked Pansy with a giggle as she and Millie came up to them.

"What? Oh, sorry. This is Neville, Nicola, Fred, and George," she told her as she pointed each of them out.

"And this is Pansy and Millie. They're my roommates" she told her friends as she the girls stepped forward.

"Do you have to put up with her furry menace?" asked Fred as he rubbed his arm absently.

"Who? Oh, you mean Artemis? She's no menace! She's a sweetheart!" Pansy said with a laugh.

"Yeah well _you_ didn't get your left arm shredded by the thing," he grumbled.

"That was all your fault Fred Weasley. You're the one that pulled her tail," Mia told him with a smirk.

"I THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR HAIR! How was I supposed to know the bloody thing practically lives in it!" he said as he threw his hands up.

"Professor's here," Neville said with a nod of his heads towards the doors.

They entered the room quietly and found desks to sit on. Mia thought this classroom looked much plainer than Professor Snape's. There were desks that fit three students, the professor's desk at the front, and the standard chalkboard. The rest of the room was just filled with off trinkets and diagrams—it was all quite…boring.

She made her way to the front of the classroom and sat down, leaving two of the three seats empty for her brother and cousin. Just as Harry, Draco, and Blaise came in, however, the twins plopped down next to her. Her brother shot them a dirty look before sitting down in the table behind her.

"Don't know how you got here before us," came the grumbled whisper. He sounded quite annoyed.

"I asked for directions," she said with a shrug as Professor McGonagall strolled in.

She made it to her desk and turned to look at them without saying a word, making the students nervous as all the chatter slowly died out. She looked over the room once before she seemed to disappear. Loud exclamations rang out and chairs scraped across the floor as students stood to see what had happened. Only a moment later a cat hopped up on the stool that had been placed in front of her desk. It had black markings around its eyes where the professor's spectacles usually rested. The cat looked around the classroom once more before it turned back into Professor McGonagall.

She clapped her hands once and the room went silent. "Welcome to Transfiguration. Shall we begin?"

The rest of the lesson was spent much in the same way as their first. They reviewed the material they would be covering through the year, expectations in the classroom, safety measures, etc. etc. By the end, they had another essay to write—this time eight inches on the Transformation formula.

They had some time to kill before lunch time so Pansy and Millie went back to the common room. The boys decided that they wanted to roam the caste and try to find some of the secret passageways that her father and uncle had told them about. Mia, however, was feeling a bit cooped up and told them that she would pass on the excursion.

"Okay, I'll see you guys later," Harry told them when she told him so.

"What? Jamie, I am perfectly capable of surviving without you stuck to my hip. Go. Find us some passageways to sneak around after curfew," she told him, shooing him away. When he still didn't look convinced she bodily shoved him away. " _Go._ I could use some alone time." She gave him a quick peck and headed towards the front entrance, which they had passed on the way up from the dungeons this morning.

Ever since the incident with the tree, Mia had been more attuned to magick. Or rather, "magical energy", as her uncle called it. Since they had found out about it, they had made a point to take her to the alley so she could become accustomed to it and she hadn't felt as suffocated as she had at her party. But while she no longer felt smothered by it, being around people constantly made her restless—like the energy she felt was leaking into her and it needed an outlet. After first time they had spent all day in the alley, she had spent over two hours in the pool swimming to tamper the feeling. She hadn't said anything to her father or uncle, however, knowing that they would worry since she would be away stuck with a large crowd of students for nearly a year. She figured that as long as she got out of the castle for a few hours a day, she would be fine.

As she went out the front entrance, she walked down the steps and took the path to the right. It took her around the castle and she could see the giant squid lounging in the sun as it swam lazily across the lake. It was still quite hot outside and she felt the sun beating down on her black robes as she kept walking. When sweat started to pour down her spine, she finally took off her robes and kept walking in the skirt and shirt she'd worn underneath. She was just about to turn around to head back in for lunch when she saw a sort of cabin off near the edge of the woods. It was surrounded by a pumpkin patch and she could hear the bark of a dog coming from that direction. Never one to turn down an opportunity to pet an animal, she picked up her pace and hurried down to investigate.

As she got closer, she saw the small home was more of a hut than a cabin. She looked around but she couldn't see anyone so she went to look at the pumpkins—which were quite tall, almost half her size. She was walking around one of them when she felt a wet nose rub up against her leg and slobber suddenly coat the hand that rested low by her hip. She looked down and saw what was probably the most wrinkled dog she had ever seen.

' _I think he's more wrinkled than Dox!"_ she thought in delight as she quickly sat on the ground and began to pet him. He was quite a lovable dog, gifting her with big slobbery kisses to her face and letting her pet his soft black fur. Its jowls quivered as he barked at her and laid down on his back to receive a stomach rub, which Mia was only too happy to comply with.

"Fang!" she heard someone bellow from the direction of the forest. The dog immediately jumped up but he stayed by her side, wagging his tail.

"Fang where'd ye run off to now?" she heard the voice of the large caretaker call out as he came out of the trees carrying some wood.

"Oh! Why hello. Didn't see ya there," he called jovially when he spotted her next to his dog.

"Hello sir. My name's Mia. I was just came over to look at the pumpkins. I didn't mean to interrupt," she said quickly, getting ready to leave.

"Sir? None of that now. Name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. That's Fang. He seems to like ya," he told her in his booming voice.

"Oh, he's lovely. You don't mind then? That I was petting him?"

"Blimey, no. Animals need affection, ya know. Ya best get going, though. Lunch will startin' soon. Feel free to come visit the pumpkins whenever ya want. Professor Dumbledore asked me to grow 'em for the Halloween feast," he told her proudly.

"Thank you. Well they're quite large so it seems to be going well for you," she told him with a bright smile. Despite his wild looks and intimidating stature, he seemed to be a very kind person. Mia would most definitely come to see him again.

"Oh jus' wait and see when I'm done! Won't fit through the front door! Now then, take that path right there, the one by the large oak. It'll take ya up to the castle and leave ya two corridors down from the Great Hall." he told her as he pointed out over the grounds.

"Thank you, Mr. Hagrid," she said as she turned around and began to jog up the path.

"Just Hagrid, lass! No Mr. here!" he bellowed after her with a laugh.

"Where were you?"

When Harry took the only available spot next to her, he was practically vibrating in his seat with a combination of worry, impatience, and annoyance. Mia was fairly certain if she had not been back in five minutes, he would have gone out looking for her. Never mind the fact that he probably had no idea where to start.

"Went for a walk," she told him as she reached to put a chicken sandwich and some fruit on her plate.

"What do you mean you went for a walk? By yourself?" he asked her with a frown.

"You'll be surprised to know I _can_ walk without help," she told him dryly.

"You know what I mean! You shouldn't be out by yourself," he hissed quietly to avoid being overheard. Mia, however, had had enough.

"Harry James Potter, you better listen very carefully to me. I don't know what gave you the impression that I need my hand to be held at all moments of the day but you need to stop. _Now_. I can and _will_ walk by myself if I want to and I _do not_ need your permission to do so. Do you understand me?" she asked in a cold voice. She rarely took on a harsh tone with him, but he was being absolutely ridiculous. She regretted it a moment later, however, when his eyes filled with hurt.

"I just want you to be safe. You know what dad said," he finally said quietly.

"Jamie, I know but if I can't get away by myself sometime I am going to go mad. You know I don't like being surrounded by people all the time. But you don't need to worry. I was there too, you know, for our defense lessons," she teased him, trying to soften her words. "And I'm fairly certain I wasn't the one that ended up on the mat most of the time."

"Shut it," he grumbled. Although he was mostly fine with it now, it had been a hard pill to swallow when it became apparent that Mia's slightly faster reflexes made her the better of the two in sparring. "Speaking of that, though, what are we going to do about our training?" he asked as he took a bite of his own sandwich.

"We can go for runs in the morning before breakfast or in the afternoon before dinner."

"We better go before breakfast. Less people to notice us that way," he said with his mouth half-full.

"Close your mouth, that's disgusting. Aunt Cissy would be horrified. We'll go before breakfast then. Our usual six o'clock?"

"Hmmmm. Better make it fifteen to six. That gives us an hour to run and time to get back and get ready for breakfast," he finally said after taking a swing of his pumpkin juice.

"Alright. Should we take the bags with us in case we find a spot to spar?" she asked as she speared some fruit.

"Don't see why not. Mr. Travers put that weightless charm on them so they'll be easy to carry."

"Okay. You better hurry up and finish, the Prefects will be giving a tour soon."

Unbeknown to them, their conversation had not been as private as they had hoped. When Mia had walked in for lunch it had already been quite late, and the only spot available had been at the front table close to the staff.

"I'm exhausted," Blaise groaned as he threw himself down on the couch. He slumped over to the side until his body fell into Mia's lap, where she had been reading. They had just gotten back from dinner and he seemed to falling into a food coma, again.

"Who knew Herbology would be so _draining._ It's been hours and my arms _still_ hurt," complained Draco as he sat down in an armchair.

"How are you two not dead right now?" Blaise asked as he opened an eye to look between Mia and Harry.

"They're used to it. Mum said Uncle Sirius was paying to have a trainer over so they could learn some muggle sport," Draco mumbled from his spot before either one could answer.

"Really? What sport?" Blaise asked with interest.

Mia gave him a sharp smile as she looked down at him. "It's called aikido. I could show you sometime."

"Don't do it mate. She'll kick your arse. She kicks _mine_ and I've been doing it with her all year," Harry warned him from his spot near her knees.

"Language, Harry," she snapped as she smacked the back of his head.

"I'll take your word for it." And then he closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep in her lap, much to Mia's disgruntlement.

"Well I'm going to work on my essays for a bit before heading to bed. I'll see you boys tomorrow," she said as she subtly nudged her brother, who looked up at her and nodded his understanding. Then without ceremony she stood up quickly, making Blaise tumble off the couch and onto the ground with a hard grunt.

"Ow. Mia that _hurt,_ " he complained as he rubbed his elbow.

"That was rather the point."

The rest of the lessons that week seemed to pass them by in a blur. Mia and Harry soon fell back into their morning routine, and had creating a eight-mile route that looped around the castle and the lake. They had decided to run the complete route three times a week, leaving the other three days of their workout to a warm-up jog and some sparring. They were careful to find a spot down by the lake, out of sight of the castle windows and main path. There was also a large boulder that hid them from view of anyone walking by.

Their classes had been interesting and Mia had quickly completed all of the assignments for the week when she returned to the common room before dinner. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions were quickly becoming her favorite subjects, even if the DADA professor was a bit strange and had a tendency to stare at her and Harry. Although she will admit that having double Potions with Gryffindor first thing on a Friday morning was a bit brutal. Professor Snape had no love for lions and the twins' antics had put him in a foul mood. They had managed to get Neville so worked up that he had _melted_ his cauldron halfway through when they were trying to make a cure for boils. It had landed all three of the boys in detention, and she was still quite upset with the twins for getting Neville into trouble.

"Are you even trying?" huffed Harry as he tried to land a punch with his boxing gloves, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was Saturday morning and they had decided to try to make it into a two-hour session since breakfast would be served later.

"Of course, I am," she said as she ducked her head to avoid his glove. She had this nagging feeling that someone was staring but when she looked around, they were completely alone.

"Really?" he puffed. "Because it feels like you're holding back." He kicked out with his left leg but she managed to jump back and avoid the hit.

"Maybe…just…a bit," she said as she landed two quick hits.

"You….need to….stop doing…that," Harry puffed between blocks.

"Fine." Mia did two quick strikes up high and when he lowered his guard she landed a strong punch to his side, knocking him back and making him trip over his own feet.

Mia threw off her gloves to wipe the sweat from face before helping her brother up. "You keep forgetting to move your feet like Mr. Travers told us to. It makes you slower."

"I think you're just better," he told her as he rubbed his ribs.

Mia frowned and moved closer to him. "Let me see."

"It's nothing, I think I just landed on a rock or something," he tried to brush it off.

"Jamie. Let me see," she insisted as she tried to lift his shirt up.

"Fine, fine!" When he lifted his shirt, Mia saw that he had a large bruise over his ribs.

"How long have you had that?" she asked him quietly.

"Uh….since Thursday? I didn't block your staff right," he admitted with a sigh.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not like its serous Mia. I'll be fine," he told his sister as he made to put his shirt down. Before he could, though, Mia reached out with an intense expression on her face and Harry felt the familiar hot spark of her healing magick.

"Mia! You know you're not supposed to do that!" he said irritated.

"It's fine. No one's around, it's not like anyone saw. Besides, you wouldn't be able to do much otherwise," she soothed him as she put his shirt down.

"Dad's right about you, you know. You're too stubborn for your own good," he told her with a frown. It would be a disaster if people found out just how powerful his sister was. He knew she had to purposefully say the incantations wrong so as not to get every spell correct on the first try and call attention to herself. It hurt her pride to have to pretend to be _less_ , but it was the way it had to be.

"You worry too much," she told him with a smile and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now c'mon we still have another half hour before we have to go inside."

' _Interesting,'_ Severus thought to himself as he watched the children put on some boxing gloves from the cover of the forest. He had overheard their little plans over breakfast and had decided to check on them, just to be safe.

It had been a long time since Severus engaged in any form of physical training. He had kept in shape since the end of the war, but his body was not the perfect weapon of his spy days. He'd been fully prepared to follow the children for a walk around the grounds—perhaps even a jog. Imagine his surprise then, when he actually found himself working to keep pace with a pair of eleven-year olds on that first morning.

They had run an entire hour without stopping, all the while maintaining an even step and keeping a conversation. If their long runs had surprised him, it was nothing compared to the feeling of utter astonishment he had the next morning at seeing them remove large Bo staffs from a small carry-on and begin to spar or when he saw little Mia flip her brother over her shoulder. They weren't the clumsy or awkward movements of children who were play fighting—these were the precise and calculated movements of people who had spent countless hours practicing.

' _At least Black isn't slacking,'_ he thought as he watched little Mia knock her brother down that morning. He winced when he saw the bruise, sympathy for the boy shining through despite the reservations he had about him. When he saw her reach out and heal him, though, his heart filled with dread.

"What the fuck?" he said out loud in his shock before he caught himself. He held absolutely still, but he'd been too far away for the children to hear him. He'd been under a _disillusionment_ charm so there was no risk of them seeing him, at least. When the children kept talking, he gave a sigh.

She was just a child! She shouldn't be exhibiting such strong _wandless_ magick with that ease. She shouldn't be exhibiting such wandless magick _at all._ He looked around quickly to make sure no one else had seen, his thoughts racing with what this could mean. He was still trying to wrap his head around what he'd seen when the children packed up their things and headed back to the castle.

' _I guess it's time to pay Black a visit_ ,' he thought grimly. The children hadn't acted surprised by Mia's magick, so it had clearly happened before.

He was just about to head to the owlery to send a message to the _venerable_ Lord Black when a phoenix patronus appeared before him. It opened its beak and out poured the voice of the Headmaster.

' _Severus. Could you come to my office? And could you bring some lemon drops?"_

Severus let out an exasperated sigh and looked to the heavens, sure that his patience was being tested. He'd been constantly on edge since receiving that note from Cassiopeia and what he had just seen had only made it worse. But the Headmaster did not request his presence in his office unless it was a matter of import.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ From the tip of his wand emerged a sleek crow that hovered in midair as it flapped its wings. "I'll be there shortly Albus," he said before sending his patronus off with the flick of his wand.

Severus carefully followed the path the children had taken, making sure they were once again within the confines of the castle. When he made it inside he took a right and quickly traversed the corridors that led him to Dumbledore's office. He stopped when the stone gargoyle straightened to its full height, blocking the entrance.

"Password?" it grated out.

"Lemon drops," Severus said impatiently. The gargoyle gave a single nod and moving out of the way, allowing him to pass into the revolving staircase, before once more returning to his post.

He knocked once when he reached the office doors, waiting to be allowed in. It never did to walk in without warning. The last time he had done that, Albus had been in the process of examining a rash on his back and Severus had been unwillingly drawn in as a second opinion.

"Ah, Severus. Good of you to hurry, my boy. Have a seat!" Albus said with his infernal twinkling eyes and grandfatherly smile.

"If you don't mind, Headmaster, I actually had a few errands to run and wanted to leave as soon as possible," the Potions Master said with a flat voice, mask firmly in place.

Albus's genial expression fell at his words and he stared at the Potions Master hard. Severus could feel the tendrils of magick the Headmaster sent out, trying to glean his surface thoughts. Not that he would have much luck—or that he's ever had any. Severus did not survive the life of a double agent by having flimsy mental shields, or being careless. His thoughts were firmly secured behind steel walls at all times; too many depended on his continued secrecy.

"Very well, I'll get straight to the point. It has come to my attention that Ms. Black is….exceptionally talented. Filius mentioned that he believes she is purposefully getting spells wrong so as not to stand out—not that it does any good. She appears to be months ahead of her peers. I have also become aware that she and Harry take little….excursions outside every morning."

"Headmaster?"

"Hagrid saw them while he was doing his rounds in the forest—he has to ensure the beasts don't get too close to our border, you see. Curious, don't you think? That Sirius would train them so well, so young. He must have a reason, I'm sure. It did make me wonder about our little friends, about Mia in particular."

Severus felt his stomach drop with every word. This was exactly what he was hoping to avoid.

"I think you'll find it interesting that I couldn't find anything about her. As far as Ministry records go, Sirius took in a half-blood child orphaned by Death Eaters in the war and adopted her. No record of her previous name or parentage. No records of her stay in any orphanage, not even in the muggle world—I called in a favor for that one. No hint of where she came from or how young Sirius came to be entrusted with her. Yes, very curious." The Headmaster's gaze was sharp enough to cut as he looked at him, hunting for any hint that Severus knew more than he was saying.

"My apologies Albus, but I still fail to see how this concerns me," he drawled, making sure to sound indifferent.

"How indeed. It's nothing really, just thought I'd share my thoughts," he said, his smile suddenly returning. "I'd like you to speak with her, try to find out what she knows of her past. I suspect it might be of interest to us."

"Of course. I'll let you know what I find," he said as he made to stand up.

"Where are you off to so early? At least have some tea," he said as a tea service appeared on his desk.

"I apologize Albus, but I miscalculated how much Ragwart I would need for the year. I thought Poppy had a surplus of bruise salve but she ran out before the summer and I don't have enough of the plant to restock her. I need to stop by the alley for more since I don't trust those dunderheads to send an acceptable sample," Severus said with a hint of annoyance. It wasn't a lie exactly, he did need to get Ragwart. He just didn't need to get it in the alley as he had a small patch in the forest.

"Ah, yes. That Quidditch final took a toll on the infirmary stock. Very well, I will see you for lunch then?" It was not so much a question, as it was a statement.

"Yes. I don't anticipate being gone more than an hour or two."

"Safe travels then. Oh, Severus, before I forget. Keep an eye on Quirrell for me, will you?" he said out of seemingly anywhere. But if Severus had learned one thing about Albus, is that there was little he did without careful forethought. He was a snake hidden in a lion's pelt.

"Of course," he said, wondering what was running through Albus's head to ask such a strange request.

Sirius was sitting in the library, knee-deep in researching healing magick. He hadn't been able to sleep since he received his reports from Albania and had decided to put his restless energy to good use. He was in the middle of reading one of the Black journals when Lu popped in.

"Master Black. There is a visitor here. He says it be important, about the Miss and Young Master." Lu informed him in his deep voice. At his words, Sirius quickly closed his book and used his wand to send all the books back to their place before hurrying out to the receiving room.

" _Snape?_ " he asked shocked. He hadn't seen the man in over a decade. Not since the Order of the Phoenix had been disbanded after the Voldemort's fall.

"Black. I don't have much time. Where's Lupin?" he asked as he paced in front of the front door.

"I'm not sure. Lu! Can you get Moony down here please? Tell him it's an emergency."

"Of course, Master" the little elf said before he disappeared.

"What's this about? What happened to my kids?" he asked trying to fight back his impatience. He was far different from the man he had been in his youth—rushing into situations before knowing all the details—but these were his children.

"We'll wait for Lupin. I don't have time to repeat myself," he said as he waved a hand impatiently.

"Sirius?" they heard Remus call as he ran down the stairs. "What's wro— _Severus_?" he said, clearly more than a little surprised to see him in their home.

' _Since when is he_ _Severus_ _?_ ' wondered Sirius suddenly before shaking his head. That wasn't important right now.

"He says he needs to talk to us about the kids." At that, Remus's eyes flashed amber.

"What's happened to the pups?" he growled out, turning to glare at Snape.

"Nothing yet. We need to sit down and talk. I haven't much time," snapped Severus as he finally lost his patience.

"Right, let's go to the library. Lu, close the floo. No visitors," Sirius told the elf who was waiting by the staircase.

Once they had resituated, he walked over and grabbed the Firewhiskey and poured three glasses with a generous amount. When Snape raised an eyebrow at his actions he felt compelled to explain himself.

"In my experience, news concerning my children and the words _emergency_ usually mean I'll need a drink by the end of it. Besides, it calms Moony. Cheers," he said and took a small drink of his glass. Snape left his glass on the table and began to pace. He had no idea how to broach the subject, or where to start really.

"I know she's alive and I know who Mia," he finally just stated.

_That_ caused a reaction. Remus choked on the pull of Firewhiskey he'd just taken and Sirius was out of his chair, wand at the ready with the blink of an eye.

"Calm _down_ , Black! Who do you think helped her escape!" he bit out. That made Sirius hesitate and lower his wand once more. He turned and pounded Remus on the back, trying to restart his breathing. "She sent me a note before the start of term. Asked me to protect her."

"Yes, spontaneous, heart-stopping notes seem to be her trademark," Sirius said with a strained chuckle before he rubbed his face. "You said it was important. What's happened?"

"I saw her perform _healing_ magick, _wandless_ healing magick and…and you do not seem surprised," he said as he saw the look the two men shared.

"Yes, well. Mia's…powerful," Remus said carefully when he finally turned to meet Severus's eyes.

"Oh, I've noticed. And unfortunately, so has Albus. She's caught his attention and he's beginning to dig. We both know he's more than capable of figuring out who she is," he told them gravely.

"We need to tell him," Remus said suddenly and this time it was Sirius who choked on his drink. It would have been funny if the situation were not so serious.

"Moony, what the fuck?" Sirius hacked out when he could breathe.

"Sirius we don't have much choice. Albus is a good man but if he thinks she can be useful, he'll maneuver her to his advantage. We can't protect her from here, and neither can Severus if he _doesn't understand_ " Remus tried to say calmly, but his amber eyes betrayed him.

"Even so, I would need to ask," Sirius said, giving him a significant look.

"I know. But _I_ don't," Moony said with a cutting smile, his eyes flaring brighter for a moment.

"Oh. Oh, yes that could work."

"Well _somebody_ please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Severus finally snarled.

"How much did Cassie tell you about the Black grimoire?" Remus turned to ask him in a somber tone.

Severus stared at Remus dumbfounded for a moment before he reached down and threw back his drink in one go, relishing the burn of the Firewhiskey.

"You mean to tell me that not only do you think the Dark Lord will return, but that an eleven-year old child is destined to take him down? One of the Darkest wizards in recent history?" he rasped out.

"Didn't Cassie ever tell you about it?" Sirius asked quietly.

"I mean, when we were children! But she said it was a story her grandmother told her. Not that it was a fucking _prophecy_!" he said as he took a shaky breath. This was definitely much worse than he had thought. He was just thinking this couldn't possibly get worse when a memory made his blood run cold.

"The prophecy. Shite Albus knows about that prophecy. Before his fall, a few years after I joined the ranks, the Dark Lord was informed about a prophecy that was overheard in a pub about him. I never knew the specifics, the Death Eater was killed on the spot after he made his report. I _do_ know that the Seer said the prophecy to Albus. That's why the Dark Lord was so weary of him when he was alive: he thought Albus knew who the prophecy referred to. If Albus knows the prophecy and he already suspects something about Mia, it won't be long before he makes the connection." Severus was pacing so fast by this point that his robes billowed around his knees at every turn.

"What do you think we should do?" asked a pale Sirius.

"You'll have to go on the offensive, confront Albus when he starts digging. Hard for him to manipulate your daughter if he knows you're aware of his actions. She'll have to be warned as well—I'm not saying tell her everything, Blalck, calm down. Just enough that she knows to be wary of the Headmaster. It shouldn't be too hard, she's a proper snake after all," he said as he turned to smirk at Sirius. It satisfied him to no end knowing that the proud lion's two children had ended up in his House.

Sirius just snored at that. "You got that right. Then again with a mother like hers, it's not much of a surprise."

"Is she practicing her magick?" Severus asked the men. When he got blank stares, he clarified. "Mia. You said she's performed strong elemental magick in the past. Is she practicing it?"

Remus shook his head. "No. We've been able to get her to practice her magick wandlessly but she's too afraid to _try_ to work her elemental magick. I don't even think she knows how."

"She'll need to begin. Her power started developing early—it's been growing inside of her. Without exercising it, without practicing it, it could build until she's stressed enough that she releases it in one go." Both men paled at the thought, thinking of the catastrophic results that could have.

Sirius cleared his throat before speaking. "How do you suggest we do that?"

"I will tutor her. I may not have elemental magick of my own, but I _am_ a teacher. I can teach her to tap into her power and keep it under control. She's a bright girl, she'll catch on quickly. You'll have to write to her, tell her to come to me—that I'm aware of the situation. She needs to know she can trust me," he told them as he turned to look at the fire salamander he could see dancing in the flames.

"I'll do that immediately. One more thing Severus, before you go. You should be aware that you might have to take on Harry as well. Him and Mia…can share their magic. It's made Harry more powerful than average. He can perform wandless magic as well, though not with the ease or strength that she shows."

"Pardon? It sounded like you said your eleven-year old children can share their magic," Severus said raised brows. When no correction came, he wanted to start laughing hysterically. _Of course_ , there was more. "Anything else I should be aware of?" he finally asked as he rubbed his face briskly.

"She has a habit of sneaking off to be by herself….she's attuned to magical energy so she can sense witches or wizards when she focuses, even if they are Cloaked… Oh and Remus is convinced she can communicate with her cat, but we haven't quite reached a verdict on that one" Sirius ticked off.

Severus rubbed his temples, trying to ease his growing headache, before reaching over and downing Remus's unfinished drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry I went MIA. Life just happened but I'm hoping to update more regularly. Hope you like!


	12. Cardinal Rule

**7 September, 1991**

"Why do you wake up so early? On a _Saturday_?" came the muffled sound of Kaya's voice, surprising her. Violet's friend rarely said a word to her, preferring to stay silent during all the little confrontations her friend staged in their dorm. Mia had just stepped out of the bathroom from her after-training shower, and wasn't expecting any of them to be up yet.

"I'm an early riser," Mia told her with a smile as she crossed the room to her trunk.

"Uh-huh. Okay, Mia," she grumbled as she sat up and looked around the room bleary-eyed before stumbling into the bathroom.

' _At least she doesn't call me Freak,'_ she thought as she glanced over the rest of her sleeping roommates. She could see Pansy fast asleep, drooling a bit as she snuggled into her pillows. She got dressed quickly, leaving her curls down since she wouldn't be attending any classes. When she saw that it was almost fifteen to eight and her roommates still hadn't woken up she decided to go shake them awake. Millie woke up almost at once but when she went to go wake up Pansy, Millie held her back and shook her head. Instead the quiet girl reached over and threw a pillow at her friend, making Pansy bolt up straight, fists flying.

"What?" she asked, her hair a mess around her face and fists still raised.

Mia was too busy laughing to answer her so she turned to Millie. "You needed to wake up. I learned to do it from far away after you knocked me on my back at your sleepover," the dark-haired girl told her in amusement.

"But did you have to _throw_ it at my face?" Pansy grumbled as she flopped back into bed.

"Well no. But it was more fun," Millie said with a laugh before she got up. "C'mon we have to get up or we won't make it to breakfast."

"Should we wake _her_ up?" Pansy asked with a wrinkled nose as she nodded towards Violet's closed bed drapes.

"It's okay, I'll do it," Kaya said as she came out of the bathroom. "She's not much of a morning person," she said with a sigh. That made Mia snort.

"I don't think she's much of a day or night person in general, really," Millie said dryly.

Kaya threw them a small smile before she went to open Violet's drapes.

"Right well I'm having a great morning so I'm leaving now while it's still that way. I'll see you at breakfast," Mia said as she picked up Artemis and left the room. There were no rules against pets in the Hall and she didn't have classes so she was going to use the opportunity to give her cat the grand tour of the castle.

Breakfast passed without incident; afterwards the boys announced they were going down to the lake to try and see if they could get the giant squid to throw back Jamie's football. Mia quickly declined an offer to join them and instead made her way to the library. She'd already spent quite a few hours in the giant room, studying and completing assignments for the week. She loved the smell of old books that permeated the air and how you could see old tomes floating about as they were returned to their proper place. The room itself was against the south wall on the second floor so the large windows overlooked the lake and the forest beyond. The bookshelves ran the length of the room and nestled between and round them were long study tables, as well as comfortable armchairs and small couches.

Mia made her way to what she liked to think of as _her_ corner. She had found it on her first day in here while she was searching for a place to read. All the tables had been occupied by older students but she had found an armchair and small table hidden away behind the last bookshelf. It had a small window that faced over the Forbidden Forest and no one seemed to know about it. She sat down and put Artemis on her shoulder before crossing her legs and settling down to read the DADA book she had checked out from Madam Pince two nights ago.

She must have lost track of time because soon Artemis was digging her claws into her shoulders and butting her tiny little head against Mia. When Mia looked up she noticed the sun was shining much higher in the sky and when she got up to check one of the clocks, she noticed lunch was in ten minutes. If she didn't make it down to the Great Hall soon, Harry would be insufferable.

"C'mon my beauty. Time to go find my grumpy brother," she said as she settled Artemis under her hair once more. She picked up her book and hurried out of the library, giving Madam Pince a fleeting smile as she passed her by.

She was a bit late sitting down in the Hall because one of the staircases had decided to move last minute but she was able to find a seat near the entrance tables. She sat down across her brother, leaning over to give Draco a quick peck on the cheek.

"Did Aunt Cissy like her presents?" she asked him as she reached to fill her plate. Her aunt's birthday had been yesterday and she and Harry had sent off their gifts with Hedwig.

"Haven't heard from her yet. I imagine she'll send an owl soon though."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the lunchtime flurry of owls entered through one of the large windows. She was keeping her eye out for Medusa or Hedwig so she was quite surprised when Fawn, one of her father's owls, dropped a package and a letter in her lap before landing on Draco's shoulder.

Harry threw her a curious look from Blaise's side when he noticed the owl but returned to his meal, sure she would share whatever it was with him later. More than a little curious and hoping for an explanation, she opened the letter first.

_Little fox,_

_Don't open the packet until you're with your brother, alone._

_It's time to add to your tutors, love. This one's a snake charmer, if you can believe it. And he's only taken on seven students._

_Love, Papa_

_p.s. Careful with your step in the castle, 'doors can lead you false_

"What is it?" Draco asked as Medusa swooped in with a letter and a package of her own.

"I forgot one of my favorite jumpers and dad sent it to me," she lied smoothly, shooting a meaningful look at Harry. He gave a slight nod and turned to finish his lunch.

"Mum says thank you for the earrings and the dress," he said as he scanned his own letter before opening the package. "Ooooo. She's sent us sweets," he exclaimed delightedly before he started handing them out.

Once they had both finished their lunch Mia and Harry stood up together. When they were asked where they were going, Mia rolled her eyes and said Harry didn't want her walking down to leave her jumper in her room by herself. Since everyone knew how particular Harry was about his sister, they didn't question it and went back to their meals.

Harry opened his mouth to ask her what was in the package when they exited the Hall but Mia squeezed his hand, warning him to be quiet. It wasn't until they were safely inside her brother's dorm, that she showed opened the package.

"He sent us a cloak?" he asked confused, shaking out the piece of fabric.

"There's a note," Mia said as she picked up a piece of parchment that had fallen out of the package.

_Pup,_

_This belonged to Prongs. We were going to wait until Christmas, but you'll have need of it.  
It'll help you follow our cardinal rule. Share it well. _

_Love,_

_Padfoot and Moony_

"I don't get it," Harry said as he put it on. When Mia looked up she gave a startled yelp and fell back on his bed.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked alarmed.

"Your _body._ It's—it's _gone._ Oh, I know what that is Jamie! But where did your dad _get_ one?" Mia asked with wide eyes.

"Ahhh!" Harry yelled as he glanced down and _through_ his body.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak. They're extremely rare," Mia whispered as she got up to take a closer look at it. When she reached out to grab it, she had the strange sensation of touching water. It felt _liquid_ somehow—smooth and cool to the touch—but was still tangible.

"What's the cardinal rule again?" asked Harry with a grin.

"Don't get caught," Mia replied immediately, mischief shining in her strange eyes.

"So, they want us to sneak around. But _why?_ "

"Oh, the letter!" Mia said as she reached into her back pocket. "I almost forgot. Here, read it."

" _Lessons_? _Here_? With _him_?" Harry's eyes had widened with every word.

"Unless you know anyone else Papa would refer to as a snake charmer," she replied dryly. "We must go see him at seven. That's not the important part. Jamie, look at the last line," she said as she pointed to the letter once more.

"Careful with your step in the castle, 'doors can lead you false," Harry repeated out loud, clearly not understanding. He repeated it once more, slowly, before his eyes widened and he looked up at his sister.

"'doors? _As in Dumbledore?_ You don't think dad is warning us about the _Headmaster_ right?" he asked incredulously.

"I think he's trying to tell us that we need to be careful around him. You remember what Papa said when we talked about training while at Hogwarts. He said we mustn't let him see us, see _me_."

"So, what do we do now?" he asked as he sat down on his bed, gently petting Artemis where she lay on his pillow.

Mia sighed. "Keep the Cloak in your trunk, inside your gym bag. Those are spelled to only open for us. And to meet the professor….how about we meet in front of his office at seven?"

"Yeah, alright. What do we do until then?" he asked as he glanced up at her.

"Well I don't know what _you're_ doing, but _I_ am going to go for a walk. Alone." She said firmly, already anticipating his offer to accompany her. Harry snapped his mouth shut but frowned at her, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. He knew better than to argue, however.

Mia gave him a quick peck and placed both notes in her pocket before walking out of his room, holding the door so Artemis could follow. It amused her to no end that the boys could not enter the girls' hall but she was free to come and go as she pleased. When she was in the common room she glanced around to ensure she was the only one there and quickly crossed to one of the roaring fires, throwing in the notes and waiting until they were nothing but ash.

"Come on girl, let's take you exploring," she said as she picked her up once more. She made her way outside and headed towards Hagrid's hut, thinking she could stop by and say hello. It didn't appear as though he had much company besides that of his dog. He was out watering the pumpkins when she finally made it down, Fang lounging in the sunlight close by.

"Hello Hagrid!" she called out in greeting when she was close enough. The giant of a man looked up and gave her a smile before putting down his Mia-sized axe.

"Well hello to ye Miss Mia. What brings ye down to my hut?"

"Just out for a walk," she told him as she bent to put Artemis down so she could explore. Mia knew she had to feel a bit restless from being cooped up inside. The little feline immediately bounded over to the giant and began to swat at his trousers.

"Ho! And who might this be?" he cried as he picked up the kitten in one hand. "Blimey, look at 'em eyes! She's a beauty she is!" he cooed at her kitten. It was funny to see such a large man being so gentle with such a small creature. Artemis didn't take up half his palm and he only used one finger to pet her carefully.

"That's Artemis. Papa gave her to me as a birthday present. I named her that because of that spot she has on her ear, the one shaped like a moon. It seemed fitting," she said as she took a seat on a tree stump near the pumpkins.

"Of course it is! Bet she'll be right huntress, won't you?" he said as he brought the cat up to his face. Artemis, seeing his beard move as he spoke, started swatting her claws until she got stuck, making Hagrid boom out a laugh. "Oh, ye got spirit," he said as he managed to untangle her.

"You're really good with animals. Did you have many pets growing up?" Mia asked him curiously.

"'Fraid not. Wasn't 'till I got to Hogwarts. Now I have Fang here and Fluffy. Now _there's_ an animal with spirit! The trick though, is knowin' how to calm 'em. Fluffy will fall right to sleep with a wit' bit o' music," he said with a smile before his eyes widened, like he'd said too much. "Yes, well, I better finish wit' this wood. The elves will be needin' it for the fires in the castle," he said gruffly.

Mia got the distinct impression that he was suddenly very uncomfortable; he wouldn't quite look her way, though for the life of her she couldn't think of a reason for the change. "Alright, I think I'll take her down by the lake then. Goodbye Hagrid," she said as she hopped off the tree stump and took Artemis from him, putting her back on her shoulder.

"Bye Mia. Be seein' ye later," he mumbled as he turned back to his pile of wood.

Mia brushed aside his strange behavior and continued down to the lake, finding a spot under one of the trees and sitting down. Artemis climbed down and began to explore curiously; she chased after a few dragonflies that zoomed by, swatted at the tall grass, and fell over a couple of times as she tried to climb a nearby sapling. Mia was quite content to sit and watch her cat play, occasionally looking out over the lake. She loved Hogwarts, loved her brother and cousin, but sometimes she just wanted to be by herself for awhile—without having to pretend like the magic didn't make her restless or that the stares that followed her and Harry didn't bother her. She stayed like that, leaning against the tree and looking over the lake, for a long time.

When the sun started to go down she finally made her way back inside the castle. She went up to the library again to pass the time. She might as well be comfortable until she had to go down to meet the professor. She had forgotten her DADA book in Harry's dorm, so she walked over to the Transfiguration section and pulled the first interesting book she saw. She made her way over to her corner and settled in to read until she felt her wand vibrate against her arm. It was time then.

She debated taking Artemis back to her room but decided against it since she didn't want her roommates asking where she was going that she couldn't take her cat with her. That's how she found herself outside his office at five, struggling to untangle Artemis's claws from her hair and necklace when, when he opened his door.

"Miss Black. Trying a new hair trend?" he asked, his lips twitching with the hint of a smile.

Mia blushed to the roots of her hair as she finally managed to get Artemis's claws free and settled her against her arms. "Sorry sir. She sort of likes to get into my hair but she's always getting caught. Didn't want to take her back in case anyone saw me leave again," she apologized.

"And where is your…brother?" he asked as he stepped aside to allow her entrance.

"He's running a bit late, sir. He needed to distract Draco so he could get away. We didn't think you'd like anyone knowing we were meeting," she explained as she took a seat in front of his desk. His office was quite different from the classroom—warm and welcoming, with comfortable armchairs and a cauldron simmering softly in the background.

"A prudent observation-" but he was interrupted by a hurried knock on his door. He raised a brow at her but went to open the door. Her brother stumbled through, red-faced and puffing slightly.

"Sorry I'm late! Had to make it down from the fourth floor," he gasped out, clutching a stitch on his side.

"Take a seat, Mr. Potter. _Before_ you collapse on my floor, if you please" the professor said sardonically.

Harry complied happily, shooting his sister an apologetic look as he tried to regulate his breathing. Hurrying down corridors and stairs was much harder to do when you had to avoid people _and_ look inconspicuous. He'd had to sprint the last leg or he never would have made it.

"Now. I have spoken with your father and uncle about your….gifts. It's rather impressive to possess such strong wandless magic at your age. I also saw your little display outside this morning, Miss Black. I cannot say I was impressed with your negligence in ensuring you were, indeed, alone," he told them, looking as though they had personally offended him by being caught.

"Sir? What exactly did my father say?" Harry asked, sitting up straight all at once.

"Relax, Mr. Potter. I know about the tree and the healing. I also know that until recently, you had been training in wandless magic—one of the few sound ideas to come out of your father, I dare say," he said as he leaned forward over his desk.

"And why would my father tell you about that? Not even my aunt knows," asked Mia, watching him curiously, almost suspiciously, as she began to fidget with her necklace. Their heightened magick had been one of the secrets they had been taught to keep from everyone—so why was her father telling this man about it?

"Your father and I have one thing in common: we have your best interest at heart. As members of my house, I am responsible for your wellbeing. It would not reflect well on me if two of my charges injured themselves, or others, because they could not control their magick," he said smoothly, but Mia thought she saw him glance down at the snake that adorned her neck.

"You'll be teaching us then? _How_?" Harry asked.

"We shall be practicing in an empty classroom here in the dungeon. It is currently my storage room, but I will clear and prepare it for our lessons. We will meet after dinner Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at eight o'clock starting next week. I hope I do not have to tell you to keep this quiet?" he asked with a frown. He was becoming increasingly unsettled by Mia's unwavering gaze and trying to move this along quickly.

"No, sir. Professor…" Mia started but paused, unsure of how to pose her question. When Professor Snape raised a brow, prompting her to continue, she decided to just throw it out there. Sometimes subtly had to be abandoned in favor of bluntness. "The Headmaster. My father is under the impression we should be careful with him. Do you know why?" she asked, her strange eyes unblinking.

Severus leaned back in his seat and observed the students for a moment in silence. Once Harry began to fidget, he inclined his head once and gave a careful answer. "Sometimes, Miss Black, righteousness can be blinding," he finally said before standing up and going to his door. "Better get going or your friends will miss you at dinner."

"That was rather cryptic," Harry grumbled as they finally sat down to dinner. They had kept from talking on the way up, not wanting to risk being overheard in the corridors.

"Hmmm," was all Mia said as they began to eat.

* * *

**19 October, 1991**

"I can't! I already told you, I don't know _how_!" Mia yelled frustrated, near to tears at this point from the blinding headache she had. They had been at it all week! It was Saturday and she was _tired_ and _hungry._ She'd had to skip dinner in order to finish an assignment on time, so she could come to this bloody lesson.

"Focus! You have done this before. I am not your father, to be pacified with _effort_. The elements are in your magick! They _are_ your magick! You just have to focus!" he snapped at her.

"Lay off her! She's trying!" Harry growled, stepping in front of his sister. Professor Snape turned to look at him, a flicker of something passing through his eyes before he gave him a sneer.

"Should I need or appreciate your opinion, _Mr. Potter,_ I will be sure to inform you. I doubt, however, that your level of… _celebrity_ will do much good here. You're lucky she's shared her power with you, lucky she strengthened you" he said scornfully. "Thanks to her you might be known as _more_ than just "Poor Orphan Potter," he bit out viciously. And that did it. Harry's face had become whiter with each word, but Mia had burned quickly with fury.

Ever since the tree incident, she had been hyper aware of her magick. It sat uncomfortably inside of her, stretching her too thin—making her feel more restless with each passing day. She had tried exercising to work it off but it did nothing. The magic she performed in class or in the halls with her wand helped some, but never enough to make a difference. But now, now she couldn't hold it back if she tried.

" _HOW DARE YOU!?"_ she growled. She could feel every drip of power inside her now. She felt her magick stretch, growing as her anger fed it, until it was too much to keep inside …so she released the hold she hadn't been aware she'd been keeping on it.

A wave of energy slammed out of her and knocked into her professor, sending him crashing back against the stone wall of the empty classroom. He barely had enough time to throw up a shield before a strong wind tore through the room, pinning him and shield against the wall, slamming into his shield over and over again.

"Mia!" she heard someone yell, but in her fury she couldn't tell who it was.

"MIA STOP! AYA STOP!" she heard before she felt someone wrap her in a tight hug. It was hearing that old nickname that finally did the trick. The wind disappeared as fast as it had come, the only trace being the slumped over form of the professor against the wall.

"Jamie?" she asked, her whole body shaking.

"I'm fine, went right through me. Can't say the same for the professor though" he said, his own voice a bit unsteady.

"Oh Merlin, Professor, I'm sorry!" she cried as she went to check on him.

He groaned and rubbed his head, brining away fingers covered in blood. "All things considering, it could have been much worse. A reminder to not purposefully provoke you to make a point," he said with a weak chuckle before he winced.

"You did that on purpose? Are you _mad?_ She moved a bloody _tree_ last time!" Harry was looking at him as though the professor had suddenly sprouted a third head.

"Yes, well, not a pleasant experience but it had to happen. She was a ticking time-bomb with that much magick bottled up inside her. Rather it happen here, where I was expecting _something_ , than out in the castle with an unsuspecting dunderhead who crosses her on a bad day," he told them as he stood up and went to open one of the doors in the back. He rummaged around until he pulled the sky-blue vial of a Pain Relief potion before drinking it with a grimace.

"I could have really hurt you," she whispered as she looked down in shame.

She heard him sigh before he came closer. "Miss Black. Look up child," he said in a much gentler tone. He waited until her watery gaze met his before he continued. "Although I did not anticipate such a…strong reaction, I knew it could happen. You are a powerful witch with extraordinary power. But you are afraid of it. Keeping it on such a tight leash, never letting your magick out fully, _that_ is dangerous. You must accept that it is a part of you and learn to control it. So that you may prevent future unwanted…episodes like these," he said with a small smirk. Mia sniffled a few times before she suddenly frowned.

"That was rather unkind, you know. Saying those things," she told, her anger returning as she remembered what had started this.

"Ah, yes," he replied and guilt flashed across his face. "I must apologize, Mr. Potter. I should not have spoken to you in that matter. You seem to be your sister's only soft spot, however, and I felt I had little choice. She needed to let her magick out," he told her brother sincerely.

" 'S alright," mumbled Harry, looking away.

"No, it is not 'alright'. I may be your unofficial tutor, but I am still your teacher and Head of House, and as such you deserve the respect that comes with that. My apologies for crossing that line," he said firmly, not accepting Harry's easy dismissal. Her brother looked up warily at him for a moment before nodding his head.

"We better get going," Mia finally said, glancing at the wristwatch she had brought with her. It was almost curfew and people would be wondering where they had gone off to.

"Yes. I will see you Monday for our next lesson. Hopefully it will not be so…eventful," he said with a small smile. Both children quickly said their goodbyes and pulled on the Cloak, making sure they were almost to the common room before they carefully took it off and stored it in Mia's bag.

"Where were you at dinner Mia?" Draco asked as they walked in.

"I had an essay to write and lost track of time," she mumbled before she remembered she'd told Harry she'd gotten there early and taken some food to go.

"You mean you haven't eaten since lunchtime? Its nearly ten o'clock!" Draco said, looking absolutely horrified by the idea.

"C'mon," Harry said as he pulled on her arm and heading back out. "Where going to get some food from the kitchen. The twins showed us how to get there."

"Are we using the Cloak?" Draco's voice startled them both since they hadn't seen him get up to follow them.

" _We_? Didn't you already have dinner? Hold on a moment, how does _he_ know about the Cloak?" she asked her brother annoyed. It was supposed to be a _secret_ for Merlin's sake.

"Uh-huh, but I'm feeling a bit peckish. _I_ know because he left it out the other day and I found it and hid it before Blaise could see," Draco answered with a shrug.

"Well thank Merlin for _that,"_ she said as she frowned at her brother's guilty expression.

"Yes, quite. Are we using the Cloak, then? Because I'm fairly certain it's passed curfew now," Draco said as he glanced around.

"We might as well. No use getting a detention because you're feeling 'peckish'," she said as she rolled her eyes.

They huddled together before she pulled out the Cloak and threw it over them, making sure it covered their feet. Then she took out her wand and murmured a silencing spell in the direction of their feet to muffle their steps.

Draco, upon seeing this, raised his eyebrows impressed. "That's quite useful."

"It'll be quite useless if you don't shut up," she hissed at him.

They carefully made their way upstairs, stopping a few times when they saw the Prefects doing their curfew rounds. They were on their way to the third floor when the staircase they were on decided to move at the last minute, making all three children grip the banister to prevent themselves from falling over.

"Why are we even on the third floor? I thought the twins said it was on the _second_ floor," whispered Draco annoyed, accidentally stepping on Mia's foot as he tripped.

"What? And you're telling me this _now?_ " muttered Harry back.

"Jamie, I thought you said you knew where we were going!" Mia hissed quietly and turned around to head back before she suddenly froze. Mrs. Norris was staring right at them from the end of the hallway they had just come through.

"Oh no, we're in the off-bounds corridor. We have to move. _Now!"_ she said as she shoved the boys further down the hall. When she heard Filch's voice she pulled off the cloak and started to flat out run. She took the first turn she could see, hearing the boys' feet slapping on the floor behind her. She felt Draco yank on her sleeve and pull her with him as he spied a door ahead.

"Where'd they go my beauty? In here? Don't worry, we'll catch them," they heard Filch say from around the corner.

"In here!" Draco whispered loudly but when he went to open the door it didn't budge.

"Move!" Mia snarled. She _was not_ about to get detention for something as stupid as an attempted trip to the kitchen. " _Alohomora!"_ she said quickly and the door opened. Luckily for her, in his panic to get inside, Draco did not notice she did it wandlessly.

They quickly shut the door behind them before locking it and slumping against the doorway. They felt the door rattle once beneath them and held their breath with closed eyes.

"This one's locked, my beauty. They must have turned around," they heard his muffled voice through the door say.

Mia let out a relieved breath and opened her eyes and gasped, causing the boys to look up as well and give surprised yelps. Staring at them, were three pairs of glowing yellow eyes. And the eyes were attached to the biggest animal that Mia had ever seen. _'Cerberus,'_ her brain suddenly supplied for her.

It had to be over three meters tall, with heads bigger than her father's old car. Its body was covered with sleek black fur that shone in the moonlight, and its jaws opened to reveal razor sharp teeth the size of her arms. The Cerberus was watching them intently, moving its head menacingly as though daring them to come closer. When it shifted its body, Mia saw that it was standing over a door of some sort. She lost track of it, however, when it hunched over and a _tag_ the size of chalkboard zoomed into her field of vision.

' _Fluffy?!_ Oh, you must be joking! _"_ Mia exclaimed in complete shock. _This_ was Hagrid's animal?

"Don't move," she hissed when she felt Draco shift beside her. "It'll provoke him. He's the hunter in the room, and we're prey," she said, never taking her eyes off the beast. Her uncle had educated them early on animal behavior; if they moved too quickly and it saw them as a threat or _prey_ , it might attack.

"Well what are we supposed to do? I don't want to be eaten by a three-headed dog!" her cousin hissed back fearfully. She thought back furiously to what the giant man had said about his pet. There was something, something about knowing how to calm…

"Harry, I need you to whistle the tune to _Hey Jude,_ " she said quickly, barely breathing.

The boys nearly choked with shock.

" _WHAT?"_ Draco cried out in a voice two octaves higher than usual.

"Are you _insane?_ Mia now is not the bloody time!"

"JUST DO IT," she snarled back. Harry threw her a look that clearly said he thought she'd finally lost it but he began to hum the song that their father had sung to them at bedtime sometimes. Draco, recognizing it from the times he'd spent the night, joined in. Very carefully, in the most soothing voice she could manage, Mia began to sing the words over their humming. They watched in shock as slowly the Cerberus's heads began to lower down, its eyelids drooping slowly. After a few more seconds it lowered its body and rested its heads down, huffing out a hot breath over them. She raised her hand and waved it, telling them to keep it going, when she heard one of them falter. When the dog gave was fast asleep, she turned around quickly, unlocked the door and pushed them out into the hallway.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?"

"WHY IS THERE A THREE HEADED DOG IN THERE?"

"Will you two _shut up_ before you get us _caught_. I did not avoid Filch and that Cerberus to get detention _now_ ," she snapped annoyed.

"How did you know to sing?" asked Harry suddenly, looking back at the door they had come through.

"Lucky encounter with its owner earlier today. Very lucky encounter. Now let's _go_ before Filch finds us again," she said as she pushed them away from the door.

"Most painful death indeed," muttered Draco as he glanced back at the door one final time.

"But you still haven't eaten!" Harry said before snapping his mouth shut at the dark glare his sister sent his way. "You know what, I think I might have some sweets in my room. I'm sure you'll be fine until breakfast," he backtracked quickly.

As they snuck back into their common room, all Mia could think about was the door she'd seen under the beast. It was obviously guarding something. The question was, _what?_

* * *

**31 October, 1991**

"I heard Lord Black took her in because when her parents left her out in the street."

"Lilith says she's seen her walking around by herself at the lake with that cat of hers. _Talking_ to it."

"Can you believe that Harry Potter has to _live_ with her?"

"I bet she's just as freaky as she looks. My sister has class with her and the girl's like a walking textbook. It's a wonder she has any friends, showing everyone up all the time."

Mia had just gotten out of History of Magic and had been in the process of getting a book for her Herbology essay when she heard them behind the bookshelf. When she carefully pulled out a book, she could see a few older students from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff sitting around a table. It shouldn't have bothered her, after all she'd been hearing these sort of comments since she could remember. And the comments about her eyes didn't surprise her—she knew they were a bit strange. But she couldn't stop the stab of pain when they said she had no friends because it was _true._ Besides Harry, Neville, and Draco, who were practically family, she didn't really have many friends. Blaise talked to her because she was Draco's cousin; the twins talked to everyone, so they didn't count; and she only really spoke to her roommates during meals or in class. There wasn't anyone she could think of that sought out her company or liked spending time with her without her brother. It's why she read so much, why she wandered by herself. There just wasn't anyone that _wanted_ to be her friend.

Mia quietly put the book back and quickly went to her table to gather her things. She wasn't feeling much like studying anymore, and she was tired. Maybe she'd go down to take a nap before the Halloween Feast in the Great Hall, since it had been pushed back to eight specifically for the feast. She was drained from her morning training with Harry and classes, but mostly it was the continuous lessons with Professor's Snape that had her ready to fall asleep on the spot.

She had quickly learned that he would accept nothing except _results_. He worked them nonstop for two hours after dinner, until they accomplished what _he_ thought they were capable of. He pushed until she was able to perform small elemental feats, like making a flower bloom or creating a small breeze. He would push them until her and Harry could share their magic at will; made them practice until they could perform whatever wandless spell they were working on that day. And it left them _exhausted_. Thankfully, though, today was Thursday and that meant no lessons after dinner.

She was trying to distract herself from the tight knot around her throat with thoughts of a nap as she crossed by the front entrance on her ways to the dungeon when she felt someone bump in to her _hard_. She felt herself fall on her back, cracking her head on the floor, as the books she'd been carrying went flying.

"Watch it, _snake_ ," she heard someone say as people broke up in snickers. Mia looked up and saw a fifth-year, a Ravenclaw, smirking at her as his friends laughed. She looked around and saw a couple of older students but she also saw someone she didn't expect. Blaise was standing next to a third-year she recognized as his cousin, not saying a word and not quite meeting her eyes. Mia stared at him for a moment before looking away and pushing herself to her feet. She went to gather her books but one of the girls kicked them further away, making the rest of them laugh. Mia steeled herself and wiped her face clean of any emotion, like her aunt had taught her and stood up.

"Where do you think you're going _snake?"_ the girl that had kicked her book asked.

"Original. I'm sure it must have hurt quite badly to come up with such a _horrifying_ insult," Mia said as she rolled her eyes.

"What did you say to her?" she heard the first boy ask.

"Oh really, now. I thought you 'Claws were supposed to be _intelligent_. Or is it that you're just a bit slow of hearing?" she snapped back.

"Oh, I heard you _Freak._ I'm just giving you a chance to apologize to your superiors," he sneered.

"I'll be sure to do that if I ever bump into them," she said coldly.

"My, my. What a vicious little silver tongue. Do you think your parents knew you'd be a freak and they threw you out so they wouldn't have to deal with you? It's why you have no friends besides that cat of yours," he said with a cruel smile. "Isn't that right Zabini?" he asked without turning around.

Mia glanced behind him and saw Blaise look up. He stared at her before glancing at the students around them and straightening up.

"Yeah. She's just the house know-it-all. Only reason people talk to her is because of her brother," he said obviously trying to placate the older student and not meeting her eyes.

"That's enough," a cold voice cut it. She glanced up to see their sixth-year Prefect Jade and the Gryffindor Head Girl heading her way. Jade looked murderous, her wand clasped tightly in her hand.

"As I recall, _William_ , the only reason _you_ have friends is because daddy dearest bought your spot on the Quidditch team," she told him with a tone sharp enough to cut.

The Ravenclaw, William, turned red with anger and went to grab his wand but the Head Girl jumped in.

"I wouldn't do that. We all know she'd wipe the floor with you. Save yourself the embarrassment. You've already made a spectacle of yourself by going after a _first_ _year._ Really Will," she chided him. The Head Girl had her wand held loosely and the smile she gave the boy was daring him to try something. Only an idiot would take on the school's Dueling Champion, however.

"Whatever. Keep the little Freak. We were just leaving anyway," he said and just like that he turned to leave with his friends, but Blaise hung back.

"Mia—" he tried to say but she cut him off.

"You know, people must think you're a snake because you're so _cunning_. Truth is you're just too cowardly to be a lion, too thick to be an eagle, and too fickle to be a badger," she told him quietly before picking up her books and walking away.

"Hey, wait!" she heard Jade call after her and Mia stopped, turned her head back to look at the older girls.

"Are you alright?" Jade asked gently, looking at her bleeding elbows. She had taken her robes off in the library and hadn't had the protection of the fabric to cushion her fall.

"I'm fine. Thank you. Both of you. I'm just going to go clean up," Mia told them quietly.

"Mia!" she heard Fred call happily as he rounded the corner.

"There's our favorite witch!" she heard George's voice echo after him.

But she couldn't handle them right now, so she pretended she didn't see them, turning away so none of them would see the tears that were starting to escape.

"Hey where's she going? What's wrong with Mia?" she heard Fred ask behind her.

"Ask _him,"_ Jade answered coldly, no doubt pointing to Blaise.

"What did you do?" she heard one of the twins ask accusingly before she finally turned the corner.

She hurried down the hall and once she was out of sight, she ran until she found the girls' lavatory. She checked to make sure it was empty before she locked herself in the farthest stall and slid down until she was leaning against the wall. She brought her knees up to her face and started shaking with silent sobs. She had stood stoically through the cutting barbs only because she remembered her aunt's words in training: black women do not show weakness. But now that she was alone, she could finally let it go.

She might have been able to ignore it under normal circumstances, but the whispered conversation in the library had already had her feeling rather brittle. She could have probably even dealt with the cruelty from the older students. But what was really hurting her was that Blaise had joined in on it. She knew they had never been great friends, but they had grown up together. He had been at every single one of her birthday parties since she was five but he had turned his back so easily. And that was the problem, wasn't it? She really didn't have many people who wanted her besides her small family.

' _Not even my parents wanted me,'_ she thought to herself, a new hurt slicing through her. She knew that her father said they'd had no choice but that didn't change the fact that it _felt_ like they'd abandoned her. Harry's mom had sacrificed herself for him, but hers had thrown her away. She reached up and clasped her necklace tight, feeling the snake move beneath her fingers. _'Did you love me? Did you ever want me?'_ she thought as her shoulders shook.

She had kept these feelings bottled up for years, never telling anyone of the open wound she had carried since the first time she'd overheard a woman say she'd been abandoned. She knew her family loved her, of course, but that did not stop the doubts from creeping through her; it did not stop the insecurities from growing with each new whispered comment. The constant commentary on her eyes, of her _strangeness_ , only made it worse—made her feel like the freak everyone was always calling her.

So Mia hid in the bathroom, missing her first Halloween Feast at Hogwarts, and let herself feel all her hurt and loneliness. Because sometimes, wounds have to ripped wide open before they can finally begin to heal.

"Where is she? I already checked the library. Twice!" Harry asked agitated. The Feast had started thirty minutes ago and Mia had yet to walk through the doors.

"I'm sure she's fine," Draco said as he grabbed some roast beef. Harry was about to demand that he accompany him to look for Mia when he felt someone stop behind him at the table. When he turned around he saw Jade standing there, a frown on her face.

"Potter," she said with a nod.

"Oh, uh, hello Rourke," he said a bit thrown. He had only spoken to the girl a handful of times, so he was more than a bit surprised to see her.

"Look I thought I should tell you that there was an incident with your sister. Some older students cornered her. She's not hurt, calm down, they were just being nasty to her. Look she walked away before me or Laura—the Head Girl—could talk to her properly. Laura's been to the girls' first-floor lavatory and she says Mia's still in there. She thinks she's crying but she can't be certain since she wouldn't answer her. She finally left her in there because she needed to come to the Feast, being Head Girl and all. Look, I just thought I'd tell you so you don't worry about why she's not here. She probably won't be stopping by, if I had to guess," she told him calmly. Despite her tone, however, Harry could see that she was worried.

"What happened?" he bit out. If anyone had hurt his sister, he'd be using them as their new sparring dummy.

"Ask that _friend_ of hers. Zabini," she said and threw the boy in question the iciest look Harry had ever witnessed before she walked away.

Draco had stopped eating at this point and seeing Harry's face become increasingly red, decided to interfere before his cousin jumped over the table to strangle Blaise.

"What happened?" he asked the dark-skinned boy curiously. Blaise, however, wouldn't meet his eyes and instead stared down into his food. He'd been incredibly quiet since the Feast had started but Draco had just assumed he wasn't feeling well. Suddenly all the glances he'd kept throwing at the doors made sense.

"Blaise. What happened?" he asked again, this time a lot less friendly. Blaise might be his mate, but Mia was his cousin.

"Nothing. Just some friends messing around with her," he finally mumbled but still wouldn't meet their eyes.

"What did you do to my sister?" Harry hissed at him.

Before Blaise could answer, however, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Professor Quirrell staggered in, making everyone fall silent.

"TROLL! In the dungeon! Tho—thought you ought to know." And then he fainted.

All hell broke loose in the Hall, students staggering to their feet and yelling in panic, trying to push people out of the way so they could get out. Before they could take more than a few steps, however, the Headmaster's voice rang out loudly.

"Silence!" he bellowed and waited until the voices had quieted before continuing. "Now then. Prefects, calmly collect your students and head to your common rooms. Slytherin will remain behind in the Hall with their Prefects and the Head Students until we deem the dungeon safe. Professors, if you can follow me please," and with that he stepped down and went to leave the room.

"Professor! Professor Snape!" Harry cried out desperately. The man was too far away to hear him over the raised voices of the student body, however, and he was gone before Harry could catch up with him. He turned around and searched until he could find the Prefects.

"Jade! Jade, Mia is still out there!" he said as he fought his way through the crowd.

"She'll be alright Harry! She's probably back in the common room by now!" she tried to reassure him as she calmed down a group of hysterical first years.

"She could be in danger! We need to go get her!" he tried yelling over the heads of students.

"Harry, she'll be fine. The professors are on their way. I can't leave the students by themselves, I'm sorry!" she told him firmly. Harry looked at her incredulously before turning around and hurrying towards the door.

"Harry! Harry where are you going?" he heard Draco ask as he grabbed Harry's shoulder.

"You heard Jade, Mia is still out there! She has no idea what's going on. I need to get to her!" he told him fiercely before turning to look at Blaise who looked like he was about to be sick. "If anything happens to her, I'll show you just how good I am with my muggle sport. Then I'll tell my dad what you did," he snarled at the boy before running out of the Hall with some Ravenclaws. He heard Draco call his name but he didn't turn around again.

\--------

Mia had just managed to pull herself together when she heard the door open. She was in the process of washing her face with cold water, however, so she didn't bother to turn around.

"Laura, I'm fine. Honest. You can go back to the Feast," she said as she dried her face on some paper towels. Instead of the response she was expecting, though, she heard a loud growl and shuffling behind her. She spun around quickly and for the second time in two weeks, felt her stomach drop. Standing there, blocking the exit to the girls' lavatory, was a Mountain Troll.

It was big—bigger even than Hagrid. It had hard leathery green skin and a small head that sat atop a very large body. Its arms hung down, abnormally long, and it was dragging what looked like a small tree behind him.

' _No, no that would be a very large club,'_ Mia corrected herself nervously as she saw the troll lift it. It was standing there, looking around, and Mia was trying not to move to not catch its attention. A good rule of thumb with any creature was to stand still until you could make a getaway. Only problem was, the chances of her sneaking past _this_ particular creature were not looking good. Before she could decide what to do, the door to the lavatory slammed open and in walked the last person she wanted to see right then.

"HARRY, NO, GET OUT!" she yelled as she saw the troll turn its head towards her brother. Before he could realize what he'd walked into, the troll gave a roar and swung its arm wide and hit Harry right in the chest, sending him crashing hard into one of the walls. His head snapped against the stone before he crumpled to the ground.

When Mia saw Harry go down, something snapped inside her again, like it had in the classroom with Professor Snape. She felt her magick react to her fear and send out a wave of pure energy, slamming into the troll and sending it stumbling away from her brother. She quickly ran over to him and knelt down to feel his pulse, just like Mr. Travers had taught them. His heart rate was steady and Mia let out a breath, almost sobbing in relief. Before she could savor the feeling, though, the troll got its footing under it once more and began to advance on them. It swung its club wide once more, hitting the porcelain sinks above them and sending shards flying everywhere. Mia threw herself over her brother, covering her head with her arms, as she protected them both as best she could. She lifted her head and looked around, trying to find a way to get them out of there when the troll once again gave a bellow and swung its club. This time, however, it was aimed right at them and Mia wouldn't be able to move Harry out of the way fast enough. It all happened in slow-motion.

Mia saw the club coming down on them and saw herself throwing up her hands, before a surge of magick heated her palms and blue fire erupted from her hands. Her magick lashed out on a wave of magical energy, _disintegrating_ the club before _throwing_ the troll back against the toilet stalls. Its head cracked through the stall door and the wall hard enough that it passed out, slumping down to crush the toilets under its enormous weight. Mia stared at the troll a moment before looking down at her still glowing hands, thankful that for once her magick had been useful without knocking her unconscious.

She quickly bent down to check on Harry and once she was reassured that the shattering sinks hadn't reached him, she crawled away from him and towards the troll. He might be down now, but Mia needed him to stay down until she could get her brother to safety. She grabbed her wand and did a spell she had only ever read about in her father's auror books.

" _Incarcerous!"_ she said as she pointed it at the troll. To her relief, thick ropes shot out of her wand and wrapped around the creature, successfully binding him. That done, she turned around and pointed her wand at her brother. _"Mobilicorpus"_

Once Harry's body was floating in front of her she quickly made her way to the door and cleared it of debris so she could open it. She carefully guided him outside and was just about to head to the infirmary, when a group of professors rounded the corner.

"Oh sweet Merlin!" she heard Professor McGonagall gasp before the woman broke into a run down the rest of the corridor. "Child what happened? Ms. Black what happened to your brother?" she asked worriedly as she glanced at Harry.

"There was a Mountain Troll. It threw him into a wall," she told her shakily.

"In w-which direction d-d-did it g-go?" stammered Professor Quirrell.

"I tied it up in the girls' lavatory. I need to get him to the infirmary" she told them, missing the looks of shock that crossed all of the professors' faces because she had just noticed something interesting in the DADA professor's robes.

"Pardon? Did you just say you _tied it up_?" Professor McGonagall asked astonished.

Mia knew there was a good reason for their surprise, but she was too tired to remember. "Yes. _Incarcerous._ It's back there, by the stalls," she said waving a hand in its general direction before stumbling. Professor Snape saw this and quickly leaned forward to catch her, helping her stand upright again.

"My dear, are you _levitating_ your brother?" the Headmaster asked in a strange voice.

"Albus, leave her be," Severus finally snapped. "She's obviously exhausted from handling the creature and needing to levitate her brother. She's probably suffering from magical depletion from performing such high-level spells."

"I s-s-say. How a f-f-first year managed to d-d-defeat a Mountain Tr-tr-troll is a bit of a m-m-mystery," Quirrell stammered out, looking at Mia very closely. Severus, not liking the look on his face quickly took out his own wand and took over Harry's levitation spell before putting his arm behind Mia's back and gently pushing her forward.

"I'll be taking these two to Poppy, then" he said as Minerva came out of the girls' lavatory, a disbelieving look on her face. Mia must have left quite the scene behind.

"Yes, yes. Before you go, my boy, I think some points are in order. Twenty points to Slytherin, Ms. Black. For impressive use of a wand and quick thinking," he smiled at the young girl who looked two seconds away from joining her brother.

"That could wait until another time. I'm taking them now," huffed Severus annoyed, still watching Quirrell out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes. Come see me once they've settled in," Dumbledore said after Severus turned to walk down the corridor.

"Albus, I don't know how she did it but those two shouldn't be alive right now. It's a fully grown adult, not some fresh sapling. It looks like a bomb when off in there…" he heard Minerva say behind him before her voice faded away when he turned a corner.

He made it halfway to Poppy's office before Mia finally fainted from magical exhaustion. He was surprised she had lasted this long, if he was honest. He'd had his wand ready when he felt her legs give and in a moment had her levitating next to her brother. He quickly made his way to the second floor and burst into the room, startling the nurse.

"What's happened?" she asked immediately when she saw the two students.

"Mountain Troll in the girls' lavatory got to Mr. Potter. I'm not sure about Ms. Black—possible magical depletion," he said as they laid them down in two nearby beds.

Poppy immediately got to work, firing off diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell and muttering under her breath the whole time. Once she was done working over both children and pouring potions down their throats, she sat back with a frown and turned to him.

"The boy had a concussion from hitting his head on something. Some light bruising, that's it. Ms Black, however, had several more injuries apart from depletion. Injuries, I might add, that were not recent," she said as she glanced down at the little witch.

"What do you mean, not recent? The attack happened no more than twenty minutes ago," he told her impatiently.

"Severus, the girl had a head injury that was an hour or two old already. She probably had a mild concussion before this whole mess even started. Her elbows and lower back were skinned and her shoulder blades bruised. All injuries consistent with someone falling _back_. I've seen enough of these in my years to know that she didn't fall on her own," she said somberly, a frown marring her face.

Severus rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself. "You think she was attacked?" But it was more statement than question.

"I think you'll need to talk to her when she wakes. I can think of one reason why a girl like her was hiding in the girls' lavatory during her first Halloween Feast, and it's not a good one," she said quietly. "You know how the kids can be with your House. Add to that what everyone says about the poor girl and, well. You can imagine."

He could.

"Mia?" she heard before someone shook her awake. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Harry's emerald ones looking down at her with concern.

"Hello Jamie," she said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Some help _I_ was. I don't remember anything," he said frustrated.

"Ah, good. You're awake." They both startled at hearing the deep voice of their Head from the doorway. "Now you can tell me what happened last night," he said with his signature arched brow.

Mia sat down and described her encounter with the Troll, telling him every strange detail about what her magic had done.

"It looks like those lessons he's put you through did some good," Harry said cheerfully. Hearing the whole thing made him very glad his sister was so powerful since he would otherwise most likely be dead right about now.

"Hmmm, so it would appear Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said dryly.

"Professor, there's something else. Last night, when you found me and Harry. I….well I noticed something strange," she said carefully.

"Oh?"

"Professor Quirrell had Cerberus slobber on his robes, by his legs. I could see where the drool had eaten through his clothing and burned him. Why would he try to get past Fluffy?" she asked him, watching as his face went expressionless.

"And how, pray tell, would you two know about Fluffy?" he asked silkily.

"We, uh, well we kind of got lost," Harry said quickly.

"And it just happened to be in the one place in this school you are banned from?"

"We _really_ got lost. Almost got chewed on but Mia got us out of it. Still don't know how, by the way. It's not _my_ first instinct to _sing_ to a hulking hellhound, but that's Mia," Harry told him, his voice conveying he was still surprised it had worked.

Professor Snape turned to face her and stared for a moment before looking away. "Mr. Potter, I need a word with your sister. If you could wait outside."

"Oh. Uh, sure, sir," Harry told him as he threw a curious look at Mia, who just shrugged her shoulders. Once he had left the room and the door had closed behind him, the professor turned back to her.

"How did you know about Fluffy?" he asked her with a slight urgency.

"Hagrid. He let it slip when I went down to talk to him once. I asked about his pets and he told me that the key was knowing how to calm them. He said something about Fluffy falling right to sleep with some music. I didn't even know what it meant until I saw the tag on the Cerberus," she told him honestly.

"I see," he finally said after a thoughtful pause.

"What's he guarding?" she asked him. When he looked surprised at her question, she sighed. "I saw the door he was standing on. I know he's guarding _something_."

She didn't think he was going to reply, he was silent so long. Finally, though, he lowered his voice and answered. "Miss Black, what he's guarding is the business of Nicolas Flamel and the Headmaster. That is all I will say on the matter. Be sure you do not ask again." He stared at her hard until she nodded her understanding before he went to take a seat by her bed.

"Now that we've gotten the Troll incident out of the way, I want you to tell me what happened _before_ that," he said as he stared intently at her.

"Sir?" Mia couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. She was ashamed of her reaction to what had occurred with Blaise.

"No point trying that Ms. Black. I am aware that there was an incident in the hall with some older students. Mr. Malfoy was quite…agitated when I stopped by to check on the students. He told me the reason you'd been in the lavatory was because you'd been in a verbal confrontation and had become upset. But according to Madam Pomfrey, it was a bit more physical than that. Care to explain what happened?" he asked gently. Unfortunately, he'd had to deal with too many of these incidents over his years as Head.

"Nothing happened sir. I tripped. Some of the older students happened to be nearby and helped me," she said, still not meeting his gaze.

"How interesting. Because I had both Ms. Rourke and Ms. Davenport come looking for me this morning, telling me quite a different story. A story, I might add, that involved your…friend," he said still watching her face carefully.

Mia's jaw tightened before she turned to face him. "Nothing happened. Some students had nothing better to do and they thought I was an easy target. But I can give as good as I get, my father has made sure of that. As for my…friend, you don't have to worry about it. I will deal with him," she told him finally.

Severus stared at her a moment before nodding. "See that you do. Well then, I'll be on my way. You are excused from classes for the rest of the day, as is your brother. I suggest you take advantage of that. You know where to find me, should you have need." With that he swept out of the room.


	13. Mischief Afoot

**1 November, 1991**

"Padfoot, wake up! PADFOOT!" Remus said shaking him urgently. "Something's happened in the school. The kids are in the Hospital Wing."

Just like that Sirius was flying out of bed, sleep forgotten. "What? What happened to the pups?" he asked in a panic as he pulled on the first shirt he saw.

"I'm not sure. Minerva floo called to tell me. Wouldn't say more. We need to _go_."

\--------

"AND HOW DID A MOUNTAIL TROLL GET INTO THE FUCKING SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE?" snarled Sirius, Moony looming behind him with fully amber eyes.

Sirius was furious. He was positively _livid_ at the fact that his _eleven-year old children_ had been unconscious all night after a confrontation with a Mountain Troll. And the Headmaster had the nerve to _twinkle_ at him.

"Now, boys. You must calm down. They're perfectly fine thanks to that remarkable girl of yours," Albus said calmly.

"Don't tell me to calm down Albus! My children could have died because of your negligence!" roared Sirius. The Headmaster, however, barely looked ruffled.

"That's an interesting birth mark she has," he said suddenly, making the men freeze.

"What?" Sirius asked, doing his best to keep the shock out of his voice as he felt his heart stop.

"Poppy did a full examination to ensure all her injuries were taken care of and found a rather curious birthmark on Mia's ribcage: a crescent moon surrounding a star. Has she always had that?" he asked casually, a gleam in his eye.

"As far as I know," Sirius finally answered, shrugging. There was no point trying to deny the existence of the mark, at this point it would only catch his interest more. The only recourse he had left was trying to play it off.

"I fail to see how her birthmark has anything to do with the conversation at hand. How in the bloody hell did a fully-grown Mountain Troll get into the school?" snarled Moony, his tension only escalating by the Headmaster's questioning.

Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his seat and stared at them a moment, scrutinizing them before speaking. "Yes, I'd like to know the answer to that myself. It appears as though it stumbled out of the forest and into the castle—perhaps attracted by the smell of the Feast." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small jar as he finished speaking. He unscrewed the lid to reveal bright yellow candies, which he offered to the men. "Lemon drop?"

"No," they answered in tandem, voices bleeding with annoyance. Dumbledore merely shrugged and popped one into his mouth.

"You have already spoken to Poppy, you know that with a little sleep they'll be right as rain. I must say it was impressive magick your daughter performed, Sirius. Not to mention her recovery, which has completely stumped our dear Poppy. She says she left the room and when she returned, Harry had climbed into bed with his sister and her vitals had improved greatly. Quite peculiar," he said. The twinkle was gone from his eye as he watched the two men carefully. "I haven't seen a student with so much potential in a long time, let alone two. The last person who could have come close being Cassiopeia, of course. Black women do tend to be quite…remarkable."

Sirius felt dread grip his heart at those words but maintained his blank expression. He'd be damned if he gave the sly bastard anything.

"Tragic, what happened to her. Her death came as quite a shock," Dumbledore continued, still with watching them with a piercing stare.

"She's missed every day," Remus managed to say as he suppressed a new snarl. Moony did not take kindly to veiled threats.

"Hmmmm yes. Well I expect you must get going, you're busy men after all. I'll be sure to keep an eye on young Mia and Harry for you, don't worry."

' _Oh I bet you will,'_ Sirius thought as he saw the gleam in the Headmaster's eyes.

\--------

"You told me to keep an eye on Quirrell," Snape said as he walked into the Headmaster's office after leaving Black and Lupin with the children.

"Yes, any news?" Albus asked him as he tinkered with some sort of device on his desk.

"He's attempted to get to the stone. He had a limp when we ran into him on the ground floor and his robes showed signs of coming into contact with the saliva of the Cerberus." He watched the Headmaster very carefully as he said this, watching for surprise or worry—anything really. But Albus simply nodded his head calmly and twisted a dial on his little bronze box before sitting back against his chair. "You don't seem surprised. You do realize what could happen if that stone gets into the wrong hands? Surely you are not so senile as to have forgotten what its capable of doing?" he snapped impatiently as he began to pace in his office. Something felt wrong about this whole mess.

"He will not get the stone," Albus told him calmly.

Severus turned around at that. "Will you move it?"

"No, it will stay within the castle. It is the safest place for it with the various protections that have been put in place. Moving it at this point would only be counterproductive," he said as he opened his desk drawer to take out his damnable candy jar. He opened it and carefully chose one before turning it to Severus to offer him one.

"I'll have to pass," he bit out. "What about Quirrell then?"

"Continue to keep an eye on him. Let me know if there are any new developments," Albus told him mildly.

"You are leaving too much to luck, old man. If we lose the stone…"

"Oh Severus, I would have thought you would know better by now. I leave nothing to luck—she's a fickle mistress. All will be well, do not worry yourself," Albus told him before looking up at him with a sharp gaze. "While you're at it, best keep an eye on Ms. Black as well. Make sure she doesn't get into situations she cannot handle," he said significantly.

Severus stared at him for a long moment, sure he had misunderstood. "You want me to take her under my wing" he finally stated flatly.

"She's a powerful girl, intelligent too. And I have a feeling she could benefit from your…particular talents," Albus said with a serene smile.

"Albus she's _eleven_. What could I possibly teach her that she won't be learning in the classroom?" He treaded carefully, not sure what exactly the Headmaster seemed to know about her.

"Hmmm. An eleven-year-old who is capable of neutralizing a magical creature most adults would think twice about going head-to-head with. A child who was able to perform a spell she won't be practicing in the classroom for another three years. It seems to me that, as such, we should take her under special considerations. Advanced tutoring, if you will."

"Of course. Get me a letter from Black and I will commence immediately—"

"Come now, Severus—"

"No, Albus. I am her Head of House. I will not go behind her guardian's back, no matter how much of an imbecile he is. Nor will I ask her to lie to him about it," he said firmly. This was one thing he would not budge on. No matter what people said about him, he took his job as Head seriously.

Albus sighed but nodded his head contritely. "Yes, of course you're right. My apologies, I should not have asked such a thing." Severus didn't buy the act for a second.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an angry wolf and a mangy mutt to pry away from the infirmary," he said before sweeping out of his room.

* * *

**2 November, 1991**

"But I feel much better now," Mia insisted for the thousandth time that day. She had been confined to a bed in the infirmary since the 'Troll Business', as Madame Pomfrey liked to call it. Harry had been released Friday before dinner, but the nurse had said Mia needed to stay one more night for observation.

"Ms. Black, you depleted your magick fighting off that beast. That is not something to take lightly, child. I will not have you leaving that bed to undo all the progress we have made," she told her charge sternly. She bustled around the room replenishing her potions store and placing clean blankets on the beds.

"What if I promise I'll go straight to bed? Please Madame Pomfrey, I'm going mad just laying here staring at the wall," she pleaded, trying her best to imitate her brother's puppy dog gaze.

The nurse stared at her before giving an exasperated sigh. "You will go straight to the Great Hall for breakfast and then you will go to your dorm to _rest_. Do you understand? No wandering, no running around with your brother. _Rest,"_ she said seriously.

Mia gave a happy yelp and jumped out of bed and threw her hands around the nurse. "Oh, thank you, thank you! Straight to bed, I promise!" she said earnestly. She would have promised to just about anything if it meant she could get out.

The nurse smiled at her enthusiasm and chuckled when the girl jumped back and walking out of the infirmary quickly.

It was still early in the morning so the Great Hall was quite empty when Mia finally made it down. She took a seat at one of the tables by the entrance and grabbed some eggs and sausages. She wouldn't normally eat such a heavy breakfast but, after the tasteless infirmary porridge, she needed something rich. She dug in and let out a sigh of contentment as the warm flavors exploded in her mouth. She was just finishing up her food when she felt someone sit beside her.

"Were you released or did you make a break for it?" Harry asked with a smile.

Mia swallowed her toast and took a drink of her pumpkin juice before she answered. "She let me go. I think she did it to get rid of me, though," she told him with a grin.

"Ah, the warrior has returned," she heard Draco say before he sat down across from them. She looked over to him, about to greet him when she noticed Blaise was beside him. They must have come up together.

Blaise, noticing her stare, opened his mouth to speak but Mia didn't give him a chance.

"I'll see you boys later. I'm under orders to rest," she said abandoning her breakfast. She'd just get something from the kitchens before she headed to her room.

"Mia, wait," Blaise said as he tried to stand up and follow.

"Don't bother Zabini," she said coldly, eyes hard, before she turned to leave.

"Mia—"

"Unless you're looking to end up on your arse, I would leave her alone," Draco said mildly.

"But I need to talk to her," Blaise insisted, taking a seat again.

"Doesn't look like she wants to talk to _you_ , though. What happened anyway? You never did say," Draco said, staring at intently. All he knew was that Blaise had been there when some older students had been bothering Mia.

Blaise avoided the boys' stares as he spooned some food on his plate. "Nothing, just need to talk to her," he said, unconvincingly.

Harry gave a snort, clearly not buying it for a minute. Draco raised a brow before turning to his friend. "Look, mate, I highly doubt that. Mia wouldn't be that angry if it was nothing. Whatever it was you did, I'd be careful around her for awhile," he said with a shrug. Draco wasn't too concerned; he had a feeling that whatever Mia did to Blaise, he most likely deserved it.

\--------

Mia had made a quick stop in the kitchens and managed to finish a quick breakfast. They even sent her off with a few muffins, which she munched on as she made her way to her room. She had barely walked through the door when she found herself with a mouthful of hair as Pansy threw herself at her.

"Oh, you're back! How are you feeling? Harry told us what happened with the Troll. I can't believe you went up against a Mountain Troll and didn't die! Everyone's talking about it!" she said all in one breath.

"Pans, breathe," Millie said with a shake of her head. Then she gave Mia a smile, "I'm glad you're okay. We tried to come see you but Madame Pomfrey said you were asleep."

"We even thought about sneaking you some food but we didn't want you to get in trouble," Pansy said apologetically. Then she brightened, "We should go to breakfast. You can hear what everyone's been saying—even the older years are impressed!"

"Oh, please. I heard Jade talking to Professor Snape, saying Mia had been in the lavatory _crying_ about something. Don't see how anyone would think _you're_ impressive," they heard Violet say as she came through the bathroom door.

"Oh, I've really missed you Vi," Mia said with false earnestness. "It's just impossible to find someone as…pleasant as you."

Violet narrowed her eyes before huffing and pushing past her. Mia looked past her to Kaya, raising her eyebrow. Normally she followed Violet everywhere.

Kaya shrugged, "Even I get tired of her sometimes. She's been in a foul mood lately, and I'd rather not go through another round of it. I know it's hard for you to believe, but she honestly isn't always that bad,"

"That really is hard to believe," Millie muttered, making Mia snicker.

"Well you can come with us to breakfast if you want," Pansy offered.

Kaya smiled. "Thanks for the offer but I think that would make things worse with Violet. I'll walk up with you, though."

"Alright. Let's go Mia," Pansy said as she opened to room's door.

"No, you lot go ahead, I already ate. I think I'm just going to lie down," she said, pulling back the drapes around her bed. She had just turned her head towards Pansy when she saw a blur launch itself at her out of the corner of her eye. She yelped when she felt claws dig into her shoulder. "Ow, watch your claws, you vicious cat," she said as Artemis clung to her.

"She's missed you. She wouldn't let anyone come near her, kept hissing at us." Pansy said, eyeing the cat warily.

"Sorry," Mia said as she finally got Artemis to retract her claws and settled the cat around her neck.

Pansy shrugged, "It's alright. We'll see you later. Don't think I've forgotten about what Violet said, though. I hope you know that you'll be telling us what happened that had you crying in the lavatory," she said airily before walking out of the room with Millie and Kaya.

Once they were gone, Mia let out a relieved breath. She had plans to make and she couldn't have them looking over her shoulder. Mia reached up to pet Artemis, feeling her purr against her skin. "Think we can get Jamie's Cloak without anyone noticing?" she asked, pulling on her winter cloak.

She rummaged around in her school satchel before grabbing a notebook and a muggle pen. Her uncle disliked using quills because the scratching sound bothered him, instead using pens. Being a half-blood, he'd grown up using them, so there were always plenty around the Manor. He'd sent her a few when she'd written home requesting some; essays were much easier to write when you didn't have to worry about wet ink smearing.

She was waited until everyone had left for breakfast before sneaking into her brother's room. She quickly went to his trunk and pulled out the Cloak from his bag—thankful that Mr. Travers had keyed them both in to each other's bags. She pulled the Cloak over herself before walking out of the room and making her way outside to the lake. She found the place where she and Harry typically trained and sat down against a tree. She kept the Cloak around her in case any students wandered down—it was a Saturday after all.

"We have a lesson to teach, girl. Any ideas?"

* * *

**16 December, 1991**

Mia waited a few weeks before she did anything because she wanted them all to think they were safe. All the students that had been involved in the spat had kept their distance since everyone heard she'd not only survived an encounter with the troll, she'd come out on top. Harry had cornered her a few times, trying to get her to tell him what had happened and who had been involved. Each time she had brushed him and told him she was handling it. After the third time, when she had all but thrown a book at him in frustration, he'd stopped asking.

She had spent the last two weeks setting everything up, brewing in an abandoned classroom she'd found on the fourth floor. They were leaving on Wednesday for the winter holls, and she was vindictive enough that she wanted their time off to not be completely enjoyable.

That Monday she was the first person in the Great Hall. She had told Harry she wasn't feeling well and they'd skipped their morning training. She sat at the table nearest the entrance, where she would be able to watch everything happen. She had targets in a few Houses, after all. She might not have known their names the day it happened, but she'd remembered their faces and their Houses. It hadn't taken long before she found a previous school yearbook in the library and had identified them all. She had made a list of all seven names—eight when she added Blaise's—and watched them every morning since. It was funny how although they were not given assigned seats in the Hall, everyone almost always sat in the same spot.

"Where's the food?" she heard several people mutter around the room as they started to come in.

"Oi! What happened to the breakfast?" she heard George cry across the room. Fred glanced up at her and grinned. She'd needed help with a few things and the twins had been the perfect partners.

"If you will please take a seat," Professor Dumbledore said as he walked in. "I have been down to the kitchens and was informed there was an incident that caused breakfast to run a bit late. Classes will begin at 9:30 this morning to accommodate this," he said cheerily, making his way to his seat at the staff table.

"What did the elves do? Burn the kitchen down?" grumbled Harry.

"Maybe the stove broke," Mia said with a shrug.

"They're _elves_. They could fix it with magick," Draco told her with an eye roll.

Twenty minutes later, after everyone had made it into the Great Hall, the food suddenly appeared at the table. There were grumbles all around as people were finally able to begin eating. She carefully grabbed a muffin, some yogurt, and fruit, before she sat back. She was careful to chat with Pansy and Millie as she ate, not looking around at her targets in case any of the professor later remembered her acting strange. She had no plans to end up in detention, thank you very much.

Ten minutes after the food appeared, eight yells filled the air. When people started looking around to investigate and saw what had happened, laughter roared through the Hall. Mia glanced up and laughed delightedly at what she saw.

Four students from Ravenclaw, three Gryffindors, and one Slytherin had jumped out of their seats. Horridly bright magenta snakes had suddenly sprouted from their heads, writhing and hissing. Their skin had turned emerald green and each time the eight students yelled, people could see silver tongues peek through. Mia glanced up and caught Jade's satisfied grin before she looked up at the staff table. She saw a few of the professors trying to hide smiles or frowning, but the Headmaster looked very intrigued and delighted by the whole thing. Professor Snape looked at her and gave her a subtle nod, before going back to glaring at the hysterical students. McGonagall, meanwhile, was busy sending suspicious stares between the twins, and her and Harry.

She quickly looked away and went back to admiring her handiwork. Almost all the affected students were yelling or crying hysterically, trying to perform spells to end enchantment, but nothing was working. Mia glanced over at Blaise to find him staring straight at her; he wasn't yelling and looked almost _accepting_ of his fate. Ever since word had gotten out that he'd been part of the group that had given her trouble, the Slytherins had been giving him a bit of the cold shoulder. Students in their House were constantly bullied and harassed by the others, so to have one of their own be involved in something like that…well, Blaise wasn't too popular. No one was outright rude to him, or gave him trouble, but neither did he make many friends.

Mia gave him a cold smile as he approached her. "Is that it then? Do you forgive me?" he asked her, batting aside one of the snakes.

Mia gave him a blank look before getting up from the table. She looked over to see that all eight students were glaring in her direction, but she wasn't worried. There was nothing that could be tied back to her. She gave them a wide grin before looking back at Blaise.

"I don't remember ever actually hearing an apology," she said coldly before walking out.

"You didn't apologize?" asked Draco incredulously, trying to tamper the laughter that threated to bubble out whenever he looked at the green-skinned students. His cousin was bloody brilliant.

"I tried! But she walked away!" he said in his defense.

"When? You mean that day at breakfast? Of course she walked way! It had just happened and she was still mad! Did you even try after that?" asked Harry angrily.

"Uh…well, I—"

"You didn't apologize," Draco stated flatly.

"Well, I didn't think she'd hear me out!"

"You bloody idiot. You just never even tried to make things right with her?" Draco asked him as he shook his head.

"I hope you're ready for whatever she does to you. She might be the quieter one of us two, but she has a vindictive streak. I don't know what you did, but—whatever it was—she won't let you off the hook easily," Harry told him seriously. He loved his sister but he also knew her faults. She could be cold, overly proud, and had a hard time giving second chances.

Blaise looked between the two boys uneasily, clearly not excited at the prospect of having to face an angry Mia. The boys were so involved in their conversation that they didn't notice one of the green-skinned Gryffindors stomp out of the Hall, face twisted in fury.

\--------

There was still an hour before classes began due to the delayed breakfast, so Mia decided to go outside for a walk. She had taken to carrying her winter cloak in her bag, so she simply pulled it out before braving the cold wind and snow outside. She absolutely loved winter at Hogwarts. The school towers and forest were covered in a sheet of pristine snow, making for a stunning landscape. She made her way down the clear path until she found a bench that looked down a slope onto the lake. She didn't feel the cold air much since her lessons with Professor Snape had moved onto heating or cooling the air around her. It was like she was in her own little bubble, safe from the biting wind.

The crunching snow behind her was the only warning she had of someone's approach before she was yanked backwards, making her land on her back. She immediately went on the defensive, shifting her weight and jumping up and away from the mystery person. She looked up to see one of her victims, a Gryffindor fourth year named Robert Phillips.

"I love what you've done with your hair," she deadpanned, making his face go an interesting shade of greenish brown.

"You're going to undo it," he growled out.

"Hmmm, no can't say that I am," she told him, taking a step towards the path.

"Look you little bitch, I am not walking around like this so fix it!" he yelled, taking a step towards her.

"Oh but see, I didn't do it so I couldn't possibly know how to fix it. I'm just a first-year, I wouldn't have a _clue_ how to do such complex magick," she said with wide-eyes, taking another step.

"Who else would give us snakes and a silver tongue? You're the only one William called that when we were all together," he hissed before suddenly lunging forward and grabbing her arm. "Now, you're going to fix this because none of the usual spells are doing a fucking thing!"

"Let me go," Mia said calmly, trying desperately to suppress her magick. It had flared up the moment his fingers wrapped around her arm.

"Not until you reverse whatever the fuck you did," Rob said, shaking her. "You best get a move on, go on. Grab that wand of yours, little know-it-all."

"Let. Me. Go," she told him, staring up at him intensely.

"I already told you, I'll let you go _when_ _you fix me,_ " he growled, squeezing her arm.

Mia yelped in pain and for a moment, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't think; it was only his tightening grasp that snapped her out of it—that reminded her that she had been prepared for something like this. He was much taller and heavier than her, and she was suddenly grateful for all the training her father had insisted on—all the self-defense that Mr. Travers put them through.

Before she could give herself time to think it through, she moved. She brought up the arm he had in a hold, using her other arm to grab his wrist and twist it away from her, rotating her hips as she did so. As soon as his hold was broken, her left hand shot out to grab the material on the inside of his extended right arm. She rotated into him as she kept her hold, almost like he was twirling her in a dance, and brought her back flush against his front. She planted her feet firmly, making sure to tuck her left leg between his and used her momentum to bring him down over her shoulder, making him land hard on his back with a hard gasp.

" _Don't_ touch me. I'm not going to remove anything, let it be a reminder to stay away from me," she snarled, breathing hard. She was clenching her fists to keep them from shaking. She knew her father had warned her against this, had insisted she needed training to defend herself, but she'd never thought she'd actually _use_ it.

Rob groaned on the ground and tried to get up, before falling back onto his back.

"You think you can do this and just get away with it? I'll report you to McGonagall—you'll be out before the end of the day" he wheezed out.

"No, you won't," came a voice from behind her. Mia turned her head and saw Fred walking towards her, glaring at the fourth year. "You have no proof it was her that caused your new makeover. And just imagine what everyone will say if they find out a _first year_ _girl_ laid you on your arse," he said with a grin.

"Stay out of this Weasley," Rob said when he finally got back to his feet.

"You know Phillips, your problem's that you're too uptight. Don't worry, if Mia leaves, George and I will help you with that," he said with a wicked grin and a glint in his eye.

Phillips seemed to understand it for the threat it was. It hadn't taken long for the twins to gain a reputation for pranksters. Most of it was in good fun, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what they'd do when they were actually after someone.

"Whatever. Just stay away from me, Freak," he mumbled as he pushed past Mia.

They waited until he was out of sight before turning around to walk back into the castle. "Good to see your plan went off without a hitch," he said with a big grin. "Georgie nearly lost it when one of the snakes bit Smith on the nose," he said with a laugh.

"Oh, I wish I would have seen that," she said wistfully. She'd walked out because she didn't want to give herself in front of the Professors when Blaise started talking to her. But honestly, he hadn't even _apologized_ and he expected her to just forgive him? After what he did? Not likely.

"You okay? Do you want to go to Pomfrey?"

"I'm fine. He just grabbed my arm," she said, rubbing it. She was sure she'd have a bruise from his tight grip.

Fred snorted. "Don't think he'll be doing that again. It was bloody brilliant how you threw him over like that," he said with a huge grin.

"I asked dad for lessons in martial arts—it's a Muggle sport—when I was ten. I've had a lot of practice since," Mia said carefully. "Could you not mention this to anyone? Please? I don't need another reason for people to think I'm strange," she said softly as she looked away. It wasn't much of a lie. The last thing she wanted was for people to start staring at her like they had in the beginning of the year.

"Yeah, alright. I won't say anything. Can I tell George though? He won't tell a soul, promise."

Mia stopped walking and smiled. "I figured he didn't apply, being your twin and all. Just make sure to do it where other people won't overhear."

Fred faced her solemnly before dropping into one of his dramatic bows. "Whatever you say, Lady Black."

Mia just laughed and turned around to walk back inside, leaving him to hurry after her.

* * *

**18 December, 1991**

"So, I hear someone pulled a memorable prank Monday in the Great Hall. Something about Magenta snakes," her uncle said when they sat down in the family for dinner. Her father and uncle had picked them up from the Platform just after seven, so they'd swung by for some Indian takeout in London before heading home. Whenever they had takeout, they always ate on the Family Room floor; Dessy didn't like wasting the good dishes on 'disgraceful' food.

"Oh yes. We received a letter from dear old Minnie. Apparently, she was convinced it was you two and wanted to place you in detention. Luckily, she couldn't actually _prove_ it. Well done, pups," Sirius said with a proud grin. He knew he should be admonishing them but they were just children. They deserved to have their fun, and no one had gotten hurt. Besides, they were second-generation Marauders. It was almost expected for stuff like this to happen!

"Uh, actually, I had nothing to do with. Honest," Harry said, when their father didn't look convinced.

Her uncle, however, was still zeroed in on Mia. Remus knew she had a fondness for that color in her pranks. "Oh? And what about you, Alya?" he asked, surprising her. No one really used her middle name besides Harry, and he only did it when he was particularly upset.

"Don't be daft Moony, Mia wouldn't do that. She's the one always dragging Harry _away_ from trouble. It must have been the Weasley twins," Sirius mused aloud. If he was honest, he was a bit disappointed to hear it hadn't been his children.

Remus snorted before turning back to Mia. "Potion or spell?" he asked.

"Combination potion," Mia said with a grin, making her father's head snap in her direction.

"Clever little fox," Sirius said delightfully surprised.

"How did you do it then? You never said," Harry asked as he finished his curry.

"I had some help from the elves and the twins. I started frequenting the kitchens after All Hallow's Eve, spending time with them. Oh, I found out that one of the cooks knew Dessy—we should tell her, I don't think she knows her friend's at Hogwarts," she said suddenly, thinking of getting up and looking for her elf-nanny.

"Yes, yes, we'll tell her later. But how'd you get them to drink the potion?" Sirius asked. Sneaking someone a potion wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.

" _That's_ why breakfast was late?" Harry asked.

"I needed to make sure it happened at the same time. Didn't want one of them not being there when it took effect," she said with a shrug. "I knew where they sat every day, what they usually ate. I went down to the kitchens early and slipped the potion into their drinks, put the antidote in everyone else's just in case. The elves agreed to hold breakfast up a bit so everyone could get there. I didn't think it would work, with their servitude bond and all, but turns out their bond is to Hogwarts itself. The students are just extra, I think. Pots—he was a cook—said that as long as no permanent harm came from it, they could help."

"You brilliant little witch," Remus said with a laugh. "What potions did you use?"

"Twins helped me research that bit. We found a Screaming snakes, Hair Dye solution, and a Body Modification potion that had to be charmed for what you wanted," she said promptly, making the adults' eyebrows raise.

"Love, I know you're brilliant, but isn't that a bit outside of your skill level?" Sirius asked carefully.

Mia nodded and took a sip of water before she answered. "Yeah but the twins helped me with the Hair Dye solution. One of our Prefects, Jade, found me brewing and helped with the charm-work. She's a sixth year and does independent study in Charms."

"And how did you get a Prefect to help you with a prank like that?" Remus asked surprised.

"I told her it was for extra credit for Potions," she lied. Truth was, when Jade found her and figured out what she was doing, she'd gone and gotten Laura and they'd both helped her combine the potions so they'd work. But she didn't want her father or uncle to asking even more questions.

"Why those students?" Sirius asked, still chuckling about the whole thing.

Mia shrugged and looked down as she reached for more naan. She shot Harry a warning look when she saw he was about to say something. No doubt he wanted to tell their father about the corridor incident, but that's the last thing she needed. "They're prats," she stated calmly, making her uncle choke on his drink.

"Mia, language!" he said as he gasped for air, but he couldn't help laughing.

* * *

**22 December, 1991**

"Have you figured it out then? Who the Flamel bloke is?"

"No. I know I've heard that name before but I have no idea where," Mia said frustrated. They were sitting in Harry's room, wrapping up the presents they had gotten in Diagon Alley earlier that day.

"You reckon it's something valuable? But why would they keep it in the school and not in Gringotts?" He asked as he tried to cut off a piece of Sellotape with his teeth.

"It has to be, doesn't it? I mean they have a _Cerberus_ guarding it. I wondered the bit about Gringotts as well though. You know how Papa keeps a stack of old _Prophets_ in the upstairs study? I was going through them to use some to wrap up that snow globe I got for Mrs. Weasley and I saw one about a break in at the bank. It happened over the summer, before school started. It said the vault had been emptied earlier that day, though, so nothing was taken. It might be what's in the school," she said with a shrug. It was bothering her that she didn't have the whole story to what was going on.

"What do you mean they broke in? And they didn't get _caught?_ I thought Gringotts was supposed to be bloody impossible to break into! I mean those goblins are _mean_ ," he said, equal parts impressed and worried. _Good_ people, after all, didn't go around breaking into high security banks.

"Hmmm. That's what I thought as well. And it said the goblins have no idea who did it. Must have been quite powerful, though, to get around all the enchantments," she mussed out loud as she finished wrapping Harry's gift for Aunt Cissy.

"I'll say. I'd love to know how they did it."

Mia snorted. "I'm more interested in what they tried to take."

"Yes, well that too," Harry said with a nod. He finished the last touches on his crooked bow before putting aside the parcels and stretching out on the ground. "Do you think Mr. Travers will take it easy on us tomorrow? Since it's Christmas soon?" Training had been a bit intense since they'd been back. Apparently, their trainer thought he had to make up for lost time and was working them twice as hard, coming every day during the week. That might have been their father's doing though—he'd been a bit funny about training since the Troll incident.

That made Mia laugh out right. "Jamie, I'll be surprised if we're not training Christmas morning. I don't think he's going to take it easy on us at all. But we can always hope for a Christmas miracle."

The rest of the winter holidays was spent with their family and training. Mr. Traver's had them sparring so much, Mia bolted up swinging when Harry woke her up from where she had fallen asleep in the library one evening.

Their Christmas miracle came after all, and there was to be no training Christmas morning. That didn't keep Mia from waking up early though. Christmas always started early at the Manor—it had become tradition since Mia came to live with them. Which is why Sirius and Remus once again found themselves being woken by eleven-year-olds screaming and jumping on their beds at seven in the morning. This time, though, there were no surprise wardrobe changes.

Mia received wonderful gifts from everyone, but was once again was left feeling unsettled by the gift that was tucked away in a corner, with no name. When she tore the little parcel, it was to find a small leather bound book. When she opened it, she saw it was completely blank and realized it was a journal _._ Inside, on the first page, was an inscription:

 

_To my dearest love,_

" _The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if revealed"_ _  
_

_Some thoughts need to be put into words to understand, yet are too private to be shared. I hope this helps you keep your treasures._

_With you always, my little fox_

 

Mia touched the first page softly. Something about seeing those words soothed the hurt that had been inside her since Halloween just a little. She read it again, paying attention to how her y's looped and her t's were crossed longer to the right, before quietly setting it aside. She'd make sure to put it in her trunk when she went back to school after break. For now, she was going to enjoy her time with her family.

* * *

**22 April, 1992**

"I don't know why this has you so worried. You've been researching for _months._ Just enjoy the Easter holls, it's not like it has anything to do with us," Harry told her as he stretched his feet towards the fire in the Manor library. They had decided to come home for Easter to take a break from all the studying. Well, Harry had decided and had then forcibly removed Mia from her niche in the library. She was becoming a bit frazzled as exams approached, and it didn't help that classes had intensified after the winter.

"It doesn't bother you? Not knowing? I mean what could be so important that the Headmaster would protect personally?" She had spent hours scouring the library for a mention of Nicolas Flamel but had not had any luck. It was driving her mad because every time she passed by the corridor or stopped by Hagrid's hut, all she could think about was Fluffy and the trapdoor he guarded.

"Makes me curious, sure. But it doesn't make me want to check out every book in the library to find out. I'm sure it's something boring, like a book or a family heirloom," he said with a shrug before leaning over to throw another log into the grate. Sammy, the little fire salamander, could be seen dancing happily as the flames grew.

Mia huffed at that. "You could help you know."

Harry snickered, "I could. Or I could leave you to it. I've had enough research after all those essays we've had to write this year." He leaned over and reached into the sweet basket that was on the coffee table before pulling out two chocolate frogs. "Here. Have a frog and come sit. Maybe we could give Sammy some more exploding bonbons. Watch him spark and fizzle around," he said with a chuckle.

Mia rolled her eyes but grabbed the frog from his hand. She opened it and quickly took a bite before it could hop away, before handing the card to Harry. He liked to collect them, had whole albums filled with them.

"Hmmm I got the Minister and Dumbledore again. I'm still holding out hope for Grindelwald. If I can—"

But Mia wasn't listening to him anymore. She had glanced at the cards he'd thrown on the floor between them when she'd caught sight of something that made her heart skip a beat. She had forgotten that before he was the Headmaster, before his defeat of Grindelwald, he'd studied Alchemy. _With Nicolas Flamel_.

"Jamie, I think I know where to find Flamel!" she exclaimed, interrupting whatever he'd been saying.

"What?" he said startled. Instead of answering, however, she got up and dragged one of the rolling ladders to the corner of the library and climbed up about halfway. She began pulling out several books until she found the one she was looking for. It was a book her uncle had bought before they'd even been born, listing several of the most important magical creations or discoveries. He'd showed it to her when he'd explained about his lycanthropy and the creation of Wolfsbane. It also, she remembered, had a section dedicated to other potions and alchemy. She hurriedly climbed down the ladder and went back to sit next to Harry, who was sitting up attentively and watching her leaf through the book.

"Uncle Remus showed me this book after Christmas when I got my potions set—I wanted to know how it was discovered and he sat down and told me about how the ingredients work together," she said, rambling a bit. "He also told me about Professor Dumbledore, about what a great Headmaster we'd have when we went to school," she said excitedly, still searching the index.

"Right but what's that got to do with the Nicolas fellow?" he asked confused.

"Look at Dumbledore's card Jamie! He worked with Nicolas Flamel! And I remember why I've heard his name—he's listed in this book as the creator of one of the most brilliant creations in alchemy. He created the Philosopher's Stone!" She finally opened the book and showed him the passage that had been teasing her mind since October. Harry took the book from her and began to read out loud.

" _The Philosopher's Stone was created by Nicolas Flamel (born 14 December, 1327) in 1364. Considered by many as the holy grail of Alchemy—if not the whole of the magical world—the stone has the ability to grant immortality, as well as turn any metal into the purest gold. Such is its renown that even Muggles have heard of this extraordinary creation, referring to it as the "Elixir of Life" or the "Fountain of Youth". Flamel allegedly used the stone on himself and his wife Perenelle Flamel in 1367, granting them both immortality._

_Although the Flamels still live today (we know because no record of death has been reported to the Ministry), no one has seen them since 1568, when they were reportedly attacked by a group of wizards intent on obtaining the stone. One of the few known people to have seen the great alchemist in modern times, is none other than Albus Dumbledore, who attracted the attention of Flamel with his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood (see page 216). It is reported that the two powerful wizards are close friends…"_

"Wait so you think Fluffy's guarding _a stone that makes people immortal?_ " Harry suddenly said as him mouth fell open in shock. The book slid from his fingers and landed on his lap, but he didn't even seem to notice.

Mia was almost vibrating with excitement as she nodded. "What else could it be? Professor Snape said that whatever was down there was between the Headmaster and Nicolas Flamel. The book says they're good friends. What if Flamel knew someone was trying to steal his stone again, like they did in 1568, so he asked the Headmaster to keep it safe?"

"But who would try to steal it? I mean they went through a lot of trouble to get into the bank so they obviously want it quite badly. You think it's for the gold?" His father said money had a funny way of making good people make bad choices.

"Maybe. Or maybe they want to live forever. You realize what this means, though, don't you?" she asked, suddenly very serious. Harry frowned at her change of tone but shook his head. "It means Professor Quirrell knows the stone is there and he tried to get it the night the Troll got into the castle," she said somberly.

"You don't know that. Maybe he was just checking on it, making sure it was okay, you know?" Harry tried but didn't sound very convinced to his own ears.

"If he was checking on it he would know how to get passed Fluffy. But I saw the holes and tears in his robes. It looked like Fluffy almost got a chomp out of him, which means the professor was trying to get passed him but didn't know how," she said stubbornly. Professor Quirrell had always given her a bad feeling. He was always watching her and Harry when he thought no one was looking. He had paid particularly close attention to her since Halloween, always giving her harder spells than the rest of the class—as if he was testing her.

"You said you told Professor Snape about the robes. I'm sure he told Professor Dumbledore and they've moved it, or asked Quirrell about it. I'm sure the stone is safe." He tried to sound sure this time—the last thing he wanted was Mia dragging him into one of her crazy ideas.

"There's only one way to know for sure whether they've moved it," she said with a glint in her eye.

Harry saw it and groaned, "Mia, _no"_ But she just grinned at him.

"We're going to have to go see Fluffy again."

* * *

**2 May, 1992**

"Don't know why we couldn't wait to do this next week," muttered Harry as they crept down the right third-floor corridor.

"We waited all week already. We have to go check," Mia whispered back before stopping and covering Harry's mouth. She could see Peeves up ahead of them, painting one of the suits of armors as a clown. It seemed she was too late, however, because Peeves froze and turned around.

"Oooo what have we here? Some little beasties out and about. Should go get Filch, I should. Wouldn't want you getting into any _trouble_ ," he said with a malicious snicker.

Mia thought furiously for a moment before leaning over to Harry. "You have to pretend to be the Bloody Baron," she breathed into his ear. He shot her a confused look but did as she asked. He'd learned to just go with her ideas by now.

"Peeves," he said quietly in a rasp. "What the Bloody Baron does is no one's business."

When Peeves heard those words, he staggered in the air and his eyes widened in fear. It was no secret that the Slytherin ghost was the most feared in the castle. With the ghostly blood dripping from his robes and the chains wrapped around his body, even the castle poltergeist gave him a wide berth.

"B-b-b-beggin your pardon your ghastliness. Didn't mean to question you, Bloody Baron, sir. Thought you was—" Peeves started to say but Mia elbowed Harry and motioned towards the ghost. He caught on quickly.

"Leave," he rasped. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Peeves shot off a salute and fled down the corridor.

"That was brilliant, that was," Harry told her as started walking once more, stuffing the invisibility cloak in his pocket.

"It's a good thing dad taught you how to impersonate voices when he pulled that prank on Uncle Remus," she said with a giggle. Harry had practiced for hours to be able to imitate their father.

"How'd you know he'd leave though?"

"Of course he'd leave. Everyone's afraid of the Bloody Baron. Can't imagine why, though; he's quite nice you know," she said with a shrug. When Harry looked at her like she was crazy, she felt compelled to defend herself. "I got lost our first day and he showed me how to get around. He seems lonely so I stop by to talk to him sometimes."

Harry looked at her before shaking his head and walking ahead. "I love you, I really do. But you're so _strange_ Mia."

"Shut it. There's the door, here I'll open it," she said as she led the way towards the familiar wooden door.

" _Alohomora"_ she whispered as she held her hand over the handle. She heard a quiet _snick_ as the lock gave and she paused to look at Harry. "We best start singing now, just in case."

"Fine. What shall I hum then?"

"How about 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees?" she asked with a grin. Harry started snickering quietly but nodded his understanding. He cleared his throat a couple of times and started humming the melody as Mia pulled open the door. As soon as they cleared the doorway, she started singing the lyrics of the song and it was a good thing she did.

Fluffy was just as she remembered from Halloween. He was still as large as a house, still had three ferocious heads, and six glowing yellow eyes. He had lunged forward when the door opened but upon hearing the children singing, he'd pulled up short. He'd stopped two arm lengths away from Mia, almost giving her a heart attack on the spot. The dog's heads started swaying along with the melody before his eyes started drooping once more, just like last time.

They continued singing the song for another minute before they stopped, making sure to stay close to the door. Mia nudged Harry and pointed to the door that she could see peeking out from beneath one its paws. He frowned and nodded before pulling her back out into the corridor.

"It's still there. Fluffy wouldn't be here if they'd moved it," Mia said a bit unnecessarily.

"Doesn't change much, though, does it? I mean Dumbledore knows about Quirrell and he hasn't moved it. He must have a reason," he told her as he began to walk away from the corridor. He was heading to the kitchen since they were already out after curfew—might as well get some biscuits out of this adventure.

"What if he didn't believe Professor Snape? I mean it was just my word against that of a professor's," she worried out loud.

"Still doesn't change anything. It's not like we can do anythi—hold on, what's that?" They were walking past one of the empty classrooms on the second floor and he could see something flash out of the corner of his eye. He walked into the room and saw a giant mirror leaning against the wall.

"Looks like a mirror someone left here, probably using the classroom as storage," Mia said with a shrug and made to head back out of the room. Harry, however, didn't budge and instead walked forward. He stopped with a gasp directly in front of the mirror and his face went white as a sheet before he broke into the biggest smile she'd ever seen. Curious, she walked back towards him and looked at his reflection, but all she could see was her brother.

"What is it Jamie?"

"I-I'm not sure. I think I can see my family," he whispered as he brought a hand up to his shoulder. A woman with deep red hair was standing behind him, with her hand there, but when his hand rose to meet hers, he didn't feel anything.

"You mean Papa and Uncle Remus?" Mia asked confused.

"No. No, I mean I think I can see my parents, Lily and James," he said in a hushed voice.

"Jamie, that's not possible. They're dead," she said gently.

Harry shook his head, "I know it's not really them Mia. But, I can _see_ them. Why can I see my dead parents?"

"I'm not sure Jamie. There's an inscription on the mirror though. ' _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_ '" Mia squinted at it for a minute before giving a huff. "Well, that's just too easy. 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'"

"Very good, Ms. Black," came a voice from the back of the classroom, making both children whirl around startled.

"Professor Dumbledore. We didn't see you there," Mia said as she placed a hand over her chest. He was sitting on top of a desk, his red robes covering his hanging feet.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at them before replying. "Not all of us need invisibility cloaks to go unseen," he told them with a smile. "I see you've found the Mirror of Erised."

"The Mirror of Desire?" Mia asked as she looked back at the mirror.

"Exactly so. You know, there have been many a witch and wizard who have tried to decipher its secrets. They have wasted away before it, not knowing if it showed truth, or only possibilities. But you, child, managed to figure it out in less than five minutes. Quite extraordinary, if I may say so. I don't think I would be exaggerating, Ms. Black, when I say you are shaping out to be the cleverest witch of the age." The look he gave Mia was assessing and it made Harry take a step closer to her.

"So, it shows us what makes us happy?" he asked to get his attention off Mia.

"In a way. It shows only the deepest and most desperate desire of our hearts. So, the happiest person in the world would see only themselves, staring back at their reflection,"

Mia turned back around and glanced into the mirror. She saw herself, but she was different. She had dark eyes, like she remembered having before the adoption. She could see her family around her, as well as the shadow of two people behind her. They looked like a couple, standing close together, but their features were cast in shadow. It oddly reminded her of the glimpse of the woman she'd gotten as the Hogwarts Express had pulled out of the platform in London.

"Why is it here? Isn't it a bit dangerous? Dessy, our elf-nanny, told us stories about magical objects like that, trapping people in their dreams," she said with a shiver before stepping away.

"Indeed, it can be. We were storing the mirror here until we found a better home for it but one too many students seem to have been drawn to its allure. We've had a few end up in the Hospital Wing after collapsing from exhaustion—they had been sneaking away during the night to come visit it, you see. Which is why I am here tonight. I'm moving it to a different location, hopefully somewhere it won't be so easily found. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, after all. I will ask you, of course, to not go looking for it after tonight," he said as he gave them a significant look. Mia had the feeling it was less a warning, and more a subtle clue—to what, though, she had no idea.

"No sir," they replied in tandem, when it became obvious he was waiting for a verbal agreement to his request.

"Good, good. Off to bed with you now. I'm sure your hunt for biscuits can wait until breakfast."

With one last look at the mirror, they turned and left the room. Leaving Dumbledore to stare after them with a small smile.

* * *

**6 June, 1992  
**

"What'd you tell the boys?" she puffed out as their feet slapped against the ground. They had skipped their morning training that Saturday to sleep in, so they had decided to change it to the evening. With exams so close, Professor Snape had changed their lessons to only twice a week so their Saturday evenings were once again free. Mia had little problem sneaking away since her roommates were used to the long hours she would disappear into the library for, but Harry had to get creative to throw Draco and Neville off.

"Told them Professor Snape gave me detention for not turning in the assignment," he said with a grin as he kept pace with her. "Are we doing a loop?"

"Yeah. Don't think we should risk sparring when we might run into people—less questions if we're just running," she replied as they skirted around Hagrid's hut. They had decided to abandon the loop around the lake tonight since older students frequented it for walks after dinner. Instead they were jogging close to the Forbidden Forest, just within the boundaries of the school.

Mia saw a splash of silver blood on the foliage and shuddered. She'd been visiting Hagrid frequently throughout the year and he'd told her about something in the forest that was killing the unicorns. It had him worried since the magical creatures had no natural predators. He said he'd found a few of them drained of blood, which meant someone was killing them in an effort to extend their life. He'd clammed up after that but Mia had researched the properties of unicorn blood; what she'd found had horrified her.

Apparently, unicorns were more than just beautiful creatures. Their blood could keep you alive indefinitely, their tears could cure almost any wound, and their horn could purify anything. The catch, however, was that when taken by force instead of freely offered, it led to a cursed life. You would never be able to be fully alive because you had taken the life of one of the purest creatures in existence. You would be hounded by pain and addiction. It sounded absolutely horrid, and confirmed what she had already known: whoever was after the Philosopher's Stone, wanted immortality.

They were just coming up by the greenhouses when she saw movement up ahead and reached out to grab Harry instinctively. He jerked back as her arm wrapped around his shoulder and would have cried out if not for the look on her face. He snapped his mouth shut and followed her into the forest, behind one of the trees and waited with her. He was about to ask her what was wrong when he heard voices approaching.

"We c-c-could have m-met in the d-d-dungeons, you know. Don't know w-why we h-h-have to meet all the way out h-h-here." Mia recognized Professor Quirrell's stutter and was relieved they were off the trail. He was the last person she wanted to run into out here.

"Yes, but we wouldn't want student to overhear us, would we? They aren't supposed to know what's hidden in the castle at this very moment," came Professor Snape's silky reply. "Have you found a way past Hagrid's…pet yet?"

"S-Severus, I don—"

"Let me say this once, Quirrell. You don't want me as your enemy," the Potions Master said in a dark voice.

Professor Quirrell's stutter seemed to get worse as his nerves increased. "P-p-please Severus. I—"

"Fine, have it your way. We'll have another chat once you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie," with that they heard the snap of robes as Professor Snape turned sharply and headed back towards the castle. They stayed absolutely still, barely breathing as they waited for Quirrell to follow suit.

"It will have to be tonight. _He's_ gone," he seemed to mutter to someone, his stutter gone. They heard his footsteps move away and waited a few more minutes before finally allowing themselves a deep breath.

"What the _bloody hell_ was _that_ about? What's Snape playing at?" Harry asked shakily.

"I think," Mia said slowly with a dread-filled voice, "that our DADA professor is trying to get the stone tonight. Hagrid's told him about Fluffy….I-I'm not sure about Professor Snape."

"What should we do?" Harry asked as he looked around nervously. Suddenly the quiet around them did not feel peaceful, so much as foreboding.

"We need to go see Dumbledore," she said resolutely before turning around and starting to run toward the castle at full speed.

"But how do we even get to Dumbledore?" he asked as he caught up.

"We'll go to McGonagall then! She's the Deputy!" she said as they crested a hill.

They didn't stop running until they were inside, and then only slowed down enough to not more attention to themselves. They made their way through the milling students until they found themselves outside of Professor McGonagall's office. Mia knocked urgently until she heard a voice call out for them to enter. When they walked in, they saw the older woman sitting at her desk, grading what appeared to be essays. She had glanced up at their entrance but upon seeing their expression, she slowly stood.

"Miss Black? Mr. Potter? What's the matter?" she asked concerned. Both children looked pale as a sheet and she could see fear swimming in their eyes.

"Professor, we have to speak to the Headmaster immediately," Mia said, still a bit out of breath.

"Calm down child, what's this about?" she tried to guide them to sit but they both refused.

"We can't say, we need the Headmaster," Harry told her.

"Well I'm afraid you're going to have to make do with me. Professor Dumbledore was called away by the Minister. He won't be back until morning," she told them briskly.

"That's what he meant when he said he was gone," Mia muttered to Harry. McGonagall heard this and raised an eyebrow.

"Who dear?" she tried to ask but Mia didn't answer. She shot a look at Harry, clearly unsure of what to do and he just shrugged. He was leaving the decision up to her.

"Professor Quirrell is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone," she blurted out. There was really no gentle way to put it.

"Sorry?" she asked startled. Whatever she had been expecting from them, it clearly hadn't been that.

"Professor Quirrell! We overheard him out in the grounds. He's going to try to steal the stone! We have to get Professor Dumbledore!" Harry jumped in.

"I don't know where you've gotten this idea in your head, or how you found out about the stone, but I can assure you Professor Quirrell is doing no such thing. He is a member of staff at this school and one of those assigned to _protect_ it," she said with a hard stare at them. Her bun and spectacles made the stare all the worse, for the severity they added to her face.

"But Prof—"

"No, that is _enough_ Miss Black. You will return to your common room and you will stay there. This is the last I will hear about this nonsense or I will speak with your Head of House. Do I make myself clear?" she warned them.

"Yes, professor," they said reluctantly.

"Excellent. Off you go now." They could feel her hard stare as they shuffled out of the room and closed the heavy wooden door behind them. They were quiet for a moment before Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him into an alcove nearby.

"We have to do something," she said. Harry recognized that look in her eye—it always ended with them grounded.

"And what exactly are we supposed to do? You really think we could take on a _professor?_ " he asked. He knew they were more powerful than the average first-year, particularly Mia, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe they could do _this._

"Well no. Not _alone_ ,' she said with a sudden smile.

"And who are you thinking of asking? You heard McGonagall, Dumbledore isn't here. You want to ask _Snape_?" That idea didn't sit well with either of them at the moment.

"I'm sure he had a good reason for being out there but I don't want to go to him….just in case. No, I was thinking of a few other people, actually."


	14. Did Someone Say Trouble?

"Sorry, I'm going to need you to say that one more time," George said as he stared at the siblings.

Mia and Harry had summoned the troops…or well, the closest thing to it anyway. They had run down to the common room to get Draco, before crossing the school once more to gather the Mayhem Twins and Neville. Nicola had just happened to be with them, so they brought her along too. They didn't have time to make up excuses—curfew would be in a few minutes and they needed to get to Fluffy _now_. They had dragged all of them into the first empty classroom they've seen and proceeded to tell them everything about what happened on Halloween, about Fluffy, and what they'd heard in the Forbidden Forest. Needless to say, they were all a bit speechless with shock.

"Weren't you listening?" Mia snapped. "A stone that can give immortality is in the school being guarded by a three-headed beast. Our DADA professor is trying to steal it. Dumbledore is gone and McGonagall won't believe us. We need to stop him," she said with a glare.

George threw up his hands in universal sign of surrender and took a step back, making his twin laugh.

"George's just trying to process it, that all Mia; it's a lot to take in. So what do you want from _us_?" Fred asked curiously.

"You guys are excellent at sneaking into places and you're brilliant at improvising. Neville is excellent with Herbology and Charms and Draco has a hand for Transfiguration. Something tells me that getting past the Cerberus is going to be the _easy_ part. Snape mentioned that it was the last one he needed, that means there are other things protecting it—possibly designed by the professors. We're going to need help to get past whatever's down there," she said seriously.

"You must be joking! You want _us_ , a bunch of first-years, to go past that bloody beast? Mia, I love you, but _have you gone completely mental_?" Draco asked with wide eyes.

"We don't know why he wants it! That stone is dangerous! If we can get to it before him, we can get out and keep it safe until Professor Dumbledore arrives tomorrow. But we _have_ to go _now_. We won't force you to come with us, but we could use the help," she told them earnestly.

She was surprised by the first person to speak up. "I'll come with you. I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'll come," Neville said as he stepped forward. He had really changed this year—he didn't stutter or shuffle around nervously, and he was a lot more confident in his magic. Mia suspected it had something to do with the talk her father had with Lady Longbottom.

"I'll come as well. I know I wasn't your first choice, but you stood up for me before you even knew who I was. I'll help," Nicola told them as she joined Neville. At this, the twins looked at each other and seemed to come to a decision.

"We'll come as well. We wouldn't want to disappoint Lady Black," George said with a ridiculous bow.

"Not to mention, it sounds like there will be trouble. And that's our specialty," Fred added with a grin.

"Fine! FINE! But if we get in trouble for this, you both owe me. I expect a bloody great birthday present from you," Draco said as he rolled his eyes and stepped forward.

Mia snorted before looking around at her marry band of friends. "We're the Fellowship of the Stone," she said with a snicker. No one got her reference though, which made her pout. _She_ thought it was funny.

"Right. Now that you lot won't bail, we need to get going. Mia, how do you want to do this? We won't all fit under the Cloak," Harry said as he looked around.

"No, some of us will have to walk in the open. What we really need is a distraction. McGonagall will be watching the corridor to make sure we don't try anything," she said with an annoyed sigh. At her words, however, the twins perked up.

"A distraction you say?" they asked excitedly.

"You leave that to us!" Fred said as he pulled his twin to the classroom's door.

"Give us five minutes and head to the third-flood corridor. We'll meet you by that giggling suit of armor" George called over his shoulder as they disappeared into the corridor.

"Hope it doesn't involve putting anyone in the Hospital Wing," Nicola said with a frown. It hadn't taken long for the twins to grow a reputation for themselves. They had quickly become notorious for their pranks, and even the older students gave them a wide berth.

"I'm sure they won't; they only do that when someone's really stepped in it with them," Neville reassured her. Living with the George and Fred meant he knew how they operated. Most of the time.

They had been waiting about five minutes when they suddenly heard a loud _boom_ , followed by the distant but unmistakable sounds of Peeves's cackle and Filch's angry screech.

"I think that's our cue," Mia said dryly. "Alright. Neville, you and Nicola start walking. We'll follow behind you. If you see anyone, just say you were in the library late and you're heading back to the common room," she told them as Harry pulled the Cloak out of his pocket. Nicola gasped as they seemed to disappear, but Mia reassured her. "It's alright Nicky, we're still here. It's an Invisibility Cloak. Now go. Hurry!"

They made their way quickly up to the third-floor without incident and went to find the giggling suit of armor where they would meet the twins. George and Fred showed up a couple of minutes later, out of breath and throwing looks over their shoulders.

"What did you _do?"_ Harry asked them when they were close enough.

"Just had a little chat with our friend Peeves and armed him with—"

"—a dung bomb or ten. Had him pelt them down by the Transfiguration classroom." They looked very pleased with the chaos they had created on such short notice.

"Hope she doesn't figure out where they came from," Neville muttered. Mia felt a flash of sympathy for him as she remembered he actually had to _live_ with them and their misadventures. Maybe that was why he wasn't so shy anymore—the twins had scared it out of him.

"Okay, here's the plan. Harry and I will open the door and go in first. We'll get Fluffy to sleep—"

"Still can't believe anyone would name that monster _Fluffy_ ," muttered Draco.

Mia ignored him and continued speaking. "When you see Harry wave you in, move _quickly_. We'll have to keep the song going long enough to get into that door under Fluffy so the quicker the better. Alright, ready Harry?" she turned to look at her brother. He was looking a bit pale, but then they all were.

"Yeah. What song?" he asked as he edged toward the door.

"How about that song Uncle Remus always sings in the shower?" Mia said with a grin.

Harry laughed at that. "I Will Survive?"

"That's the one. Okay you start and then I'll open the door." Harry nodded and began to hum the melody to the song. Mia looked at him once more before unlocking the door and walking in. She was already singing but when she looked around she realized it wasn't necessary. Someone had left a harp playing in the corner of the room and Fluffy was sound asleep next to it. She turned around and waved everyone inside and Nicola gave a startled yelp when he caught sight of the beast.

"He's a bit adorable once you get passed the sharp teeth, the glowing eyes,—"

"The three heads, the enormity of its size, and the arm-length claws," the twins said as they peered closer at the Cerberus. Nicola and Draco were staring at them as though _they_ had suddenly grown three heads.

"I see what you meant about his name," Nicola finally muttered as she glanced at the beast once more.

"Help me move his paw," Harry told them as he and Mia knelt on the floor. Neville hurried over first and they managed to shift the paw far enough that they could see the door. It took all three of them to pull the trap door up. They had it halfway to the ground when it slipped from their grasp and cracked against the stone floor, almost hitting Nicola's foot.

They all froze and looked up at the three heads, watching for any indication they were about to be chomped on. When Fluffy kept sleeping, they let out a relieved breath and looked down.

"That's quite dark. Can't see anything," Nicola said as she stuck her head into the hole in the ground.

"Anyone have something that lights up?" Mia asked suddenly.

"Give me your hair bobble and we will," George told her. Mia quickly shook out her curls and handed it over. George waved his wand and muttered ' _meridiem'._ Her hair pin began to glow and he handed it back to her. She took it and carefully held her hand in the center of the opening before letting it go. They could see the light getting smaller and smaller before it stopped.

Draco gulped. "That has to be ten meters, _at least_."

"Yes, but it might be a soft landing," Harry tried to sound encouraging.

"Sorry mate, I don't think it's going to feel very soft," Fred said as he kneeled at the edge and glanced down.

" _Oh no_ ," they heard Mia suddenly gasp. "Harry, _sing!"_

Harry immediately began to sing, not stopping to ask what was wrong. There was only one reason his sister would sound that afraid right now or make such a request. He heard Mia join him and looked up to see Fluffy was once again standing. His heads were lowered and he was growling quietly, slobber slowly dripping and scorching the stone by its paws.

"Why'd the harp stop?" Mia heard Nicola gasp out.

"Who cares _why_ it stopped, _move_ ," Draco said shakily as he looked up at the beast. It seemed to be trying to fight off the lull of the music, and he didn't think Harry and Mia could keep it at bay much longer.

"But we can't just ju—"

"Sorry Nicki, but we don't want to be a chew toy."

That was all the warning she got before George rushed her, threw an arm around her, and jumped into the hole. They heard her startled scream before Fred followed suit. Neville and Draco looked at each other before running forward at the same time and taking a dive. Mia and Harry began to slowly make their way closer to the gap in the floor, Fluffy slowly shadowing their every step. His heads would droop before they snapping up, snarling when they realized they were falling asleep. Mia waited until they were at the edge before she wrapped Harry in a hug and threw them down. Fluffy lunged forward but only managed to get empty air as they fell into the darkness.

"George I am going to bloody _kill_ you!" came the enraged voice of Nicola from somewhere.

"At least it was a soft landing!" Harry called out from somewhere to her left.

Mia tried looking around to see where they had landed but it was too dark. She had her wand strapped to her arm in its holster but when she tried to move her hand, she couldn't. That's when she realized she couldn't move any of her limbs.

"Uh guys. I-I can't move!" she said, starting to panic as ropes seemed to tighten around her when she tried to sit up.

"Mia!" Harry called out, as sounds of struggling and yells filled the room.

"STOP! You have to stop!" Neville yelled out.

"Now why the bloody hell would we do that?!" yelled Fred before he let out a word his mother would not approve of. "It's around my whole body!"

"It's Devil's Snare! If you struggle it'll kill you faster!" But that was the wrong thing to say. That's when everyone seemed to lose it.

"KILL US FASTER?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN KILL US FASTER?"

"AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP ME RELAX?"

"SHUT UP LET, HIM TALK! NEVILLE HOW DO WE GET RID OF IT?" Mia screamed as she tried to go still.

"We need light! Or fire!" Neville said, his voice muffled as the Devil's Snare reached his mouth.

"Do it Mia!" Harry yelled. She knew what he was telling her to do. She also knew that her father would not be happy about this. But she didn't have much of a choice.

Mia closer her eyes and tried to slow down her breathing as she reached for her magick, until she could see and feel the hot crackling energy inside her. Her lessons with Professor Snape all year had helped her lose her fright of it, had taught her how to call it forward slowly. She pictured dipping her hands into her magic and felt her fingers begin to heat up with power. She opened her eyes and spread her hands wide, two swirling fireballs coming to life in her palms.

As the heat and the light hit the Devil's Snare, the wines recoiled and there came a low whine from the dark. Mia rolled to her feet and threw out her arms, sending the fire out in a circle low to the ground. The vines retreated further until she could see her friends and brother, wrapped like cocoons. She ran forward and placed a hand on each of their forms, burning away the plant as she did so. Soon they were kicking off what was left of the vines from their bodies and scrambling to their feet. Mia kept the fireballs in her palms, ready to use them if it looked like the vines would come after them again.

" _WHERE THE HELL DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT?!"_ Draco nearly screeched as he finally got his breath back.

"That was…you did that _wandlessly_ ," gasped out Fred.

"Not now," Mia said shortly, ignoring the looks of awe on the twins' faces and the brief flash of fear she saw in Nicola's. Harry picked up on her reluctance and began to lead everyone toward the door they could see set in the wall.

"C'mon we have to keep moving. Quirrell's obviously already down here if Fluffy was already asleep but maybe we can beat him to the stone"

They opened the door to find themselves in a dark tunnel that sloped downward. They couldn't see more than a yard in front of them so Mia let go of the fire and raised her hands, cupping them together.

" _Lumos maxima_ " she said, watching as a ball of light formed there. She kept feeding it magic until it was the size about the size of a tennis ball before she threw it up in the air. It levitated in front of her and would stay there as long as she held her concentration. She turned around and looked past the wide-eyed stares of her friends until she met Harry's eyes.

"You better get one going too, in case I lose mine," she told him. He nodded before going through the same motions she had, although his light was a bit dimmer than hers.

"You realize you two will have to explain this when we get back right?" Draco said annoyed. Despite his tone, Mia could see the hurt in his eyes at being kept in the dark about all of this.

"Let's get through this first," Harry told him.

Mia held Draco's gaze for a moment, sending him an apologetic look, before turning back around to the tunnel ahead. She went first, slowly and carefully making her way down the damp and uneven floor. They had been walking for several minutes before the sloping floor ended at the edge of some stone steps.

"How far under the castle do you reckon we're going?" asked Fred.

"We have to be past the dungeons by now," Mia told them. She looked ahead at the darkness for a few more seconds before taking the first step down. "Better keep going."

They descended the dark stairs, taking step after step and jumping at every sound. Mia was able to keep the shadows at bay around them, but it was still disconcerting to not be able to see more than a yard in front of them. It took a few minutes before they reached the bottom step and found themselves in circular chamber, with a wooden door ahead of them. Mia glanced back at everyone's nervous expression before walking across the floor and putting her hand on the door handle.

"Wands out," she said tense. She heard the rustle of robes as everyone took hold of their wands and felt a hum around her as their magick rose to the surface—ready to be called upon. She felt Harry's distinct cool energy press against her magick, prepared to merge with hers if need be. She took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to jump back at the slightest hint of movement. What she saw instead, made her walk forward in interest.

"What are they?" asked Nicola as she followed Mia inside.

"The look like….birds," George said as he looked up at the fluttering wings. You could hear muffled thumps as hundreds of the little creatures flew around the room.

"No Georgie, I think they're _keys_ ," Fred corrected him as one of them got close enough to touch.

"I'm guessing we'll need one of them to get through _that_ door," Draco said as he pointed to the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room.

"Which one though? They all look the same," Harry muttered, and Mia had to agree. She tried scanning the cloud of wings above them, but they moved too fast to get a good picture.

"That one there, by the pillar. It's old see? And one of its wings is broken, like someone already caught it!" Neville suddenly cried out.

Mia looked to where he was pointing and saw a large brass key—the old kind that went into those old-fashioned locks. She could make out which one it was because it was flying unsteadily, unable to fully extend one of its wings.

"Brilliant Nev," Harry said with a grin. "Now we just have to figure out how to get it."

"It's a bit obvious, don't you think?" Nicola said with a raised brow, extending her hand to point at the brooms that were leaning against the wall to their right.

"It seems too easy," Draco suddenly said. When everyone looked at him in astonishment, he felt the need to explain. "We had to get through a three-headed beast and a killer plant. And now we just fly and get a key? Too easy," he said with a shake of his head. Mia couldn't really fault his logic and gave the keys a weary look.

"Oooo his Slytherin senses are tingling," Fred said with a snicker.

"What, you think they'll attack us?" Nicola said with a laugh, ignoring Fred. When Draco just stared evenly at her, she gulped and glanced at the keys again.

"You know what we need?" Mia said as she looked between the brooms and the keys. "We need to go fishing." Harry looked at her confused before his face split into a grin, catching on.

"A net?" he asked to confirm. When she nodded, he let out a laugh. "Brilliant, Mia."

"Sorry, but what are you on about?" Fred asked, looking between them. He finally had a taste of how other people felt when he and George talked in snippets, and it was a bit annoying not being in on the know.

"Three of us will get on the brooms. We'll use a net to drag it behind the keys, catching all of them. It'll be easier to get the one we need that way," she explained.

"So who's flying?" Draco said impatiently.

"The twins and you," Mia said as she went over to grab the brooms.

"Wait, I get that the twins fly well together, but why Draco? No offense, mate."

"Offense taken, Potter," Draco snapped.

"Because he's a better flier than you. Oh, don't smirk Draco. I might hit you with the broom instead." _Boys_ , honestly. Between Harry's pout and Draco's superior smirk, she wanted to just knock their heads together and be done with it.

"So, what about this net you said?" Fred asked as he mounted his broom.

"Give me a moment," she said as she took a seat on the ground. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing again. She'd never tried to conjure something before, but she'd read the theory behind it in a Transfiguration book so it _should_ work. Maybe. She shook her doubts away and reached for her magick once more, allowing it to flow through her. She tried to imagine a net appearing before her, shaping it out of thin air, visualizing its every detail. She scrunched her nose and concentrated but nothing was happening. She opened her eyes to see if maybe she'd managed to do it and hadn't realized it but there was nothing in front of her expect the stone floor. She tried again, her brow furrowing with focus but when she opened her eyes again, she had the same result. She was about to close her eyes for the third time when someone spoke.

"What exactly is it you're trying to do?" Fred asked as he came to stand by her. She glared at him for interrupting but knew if she didn't answer, he wouldn't shut up.

"Trying to conjure a net," she said shortly.

"Are you daft?" he asked disbelievingly. "That's a N.E.W.T. spell."

"I know," she snapped.

"Are you just trying to show off then?" he asked curiously.

"What? No."

"Then why don't you just transfigure the robes into a net? It's easier to work the spell when you have matter to work with. Gamp's Laws and all that." When she heard this, Mia blushed a brilliant red. She could hear the others snicker at her reaction—it wasn't often that Mia the Bookworm made such a mistake.

"Oh, I, uh—right. I'll do that, thanks" she said, cheeks still red with embarrassment. She had no idea why she hadn't thought of that, it really was quite obvious.

"You're welcome," he said, throwing her a wink.

He and George shrugged out of their robes and handed them to her. She took off her own and placed it on the floor besides theirs, before grabbing her wand and saying the incantation clearly. She thought of doing the spell without her wand but she hadn't done much transfiguration wandlessly, and she needed to make sure it worked. She held a picture in mind of what she wanted, infusing the spell with her will, and watched as the robes suddenly transformed. A large fishing net began to emerge from the pile of fabric, just like the ones she'd seen the fishermen using out at sea when they'd gone on holiday.

"Right. Now just grab onto it. Remember that you have to be quick to make sure the keys don't get away," Mia said as the boys kicked off their brooms to hover above the ground.

"What do we do after we get them all?" Draco asked as Neville handed him a section of the net.

"The net is big enough that you should be able to hold it closed once you get them all. Once you touch down again, we'll figure it out." Harry said as they all took a step back.

The twins and Draco looked at each other and gave a nod, before launching themselves into the air. It took a bit of maneuvering, but eventually they figured out how best hold the net. They had a triangle formation, with George flying high—low to his broom to trail the net beneath him—Fred flew below him to the right, and Draco flew to the left. It only took them catching the first few keys to figure out that Draco was right. It had been too easy.

As soon as the keys touched the net, the rest of them turned into flying menaces. They started flying towards the boys, cutting their arms and faces as they hit them. They had to stop flying since they couldn't see where they were going; they had their arms up around their faces, trying to protect them from the sharp edges.

"We have to do something!" Neville said anxiously when they what was happening.

"But what? They can't fly without leaving their faces exposed!" Harry told him and winced when he saw a cut open on Draco's arm. They were going to have to get a _big_ birthday present for him.

"Mia! The Freezing Charm!" Nicola said suddenly.

Mia whirled to look at the Gryffindor, nodding her head excitedly. They had seen the spell when they were researching for their Charms essay earlier in the year. "Nicky, that's brilliant," Mia said before she ran towards the keys.

"Mia, wait!" she heard Harry and Neville call out behind her, but she didn't stop.

She ran until she was directly below the boys, and quickly closed her eyes. She knew her magic would have more power if she did the charm wandlessly. She felt a few keys hit her arms, but ignored the sting as she gathered her magic and channeled it into her hands. When she thought she had sufficient power, she opened her eyes and raised her hand.

" _Immobulus!"_

A wave of power left her and traveled to the keys, freezing them in place as it went through them. She concentrated only on the keys, visualizing the spell bypassing her friends, and was satisfied when they were not affected. They must have felt her magick, however, because they jumped and dropped their arms to look around them. They keys hung suspended in the air, some inches away from their face.

"Forget the net! Just fly and grab the bloody key! I don't know how long I can keep them like this!" Mia yelled up to them with a furrowed brow. The hardest part of wandless magick was keeping your concentration for spells that you wanted to maintain. Mia did not tire, her magick did not waver, but if her concentration slipped, the spell would end.

The boys stared around wide-eyed before nodding and flying around, trying to locate the key they needed. It was much easier to find it this time around since the keys were no longer flying about. Not even five minutes later Fred cried out when he managed to grab ahold of it.

"I got it!" he said as he touched down on the ground.

"Great, celebrate later! We have to get through that door," Harry said as he began to walk towards his sister.

"Why's she still doing it? We already got the key," Draco asked confused.

"We don't know what will happen now that we do," she said shortly, not tearing her gaze away from the keys. Harry guided her to the door slowly, not wanting to break her spell.

"Well go on then, open the door," Nicola said as she pushed Fred towards it.

He looked nervous but he put the key into the lock and they all heard the quiet _snick_ as the door unlocked. Harry looked around at the group before stepping forward.

"Someone make sure to guide Mia through and close the door behind us. We don't need those keys coming after us."

Fred moved to stand by her and put his arm around her waist. Once Harry knew his sister was covered, he turned around and slowly opened the door. His magick was on edge, ready to burst out of him at the first sign of danger. When nothing moved and no spell came his way, he cautiously stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, so it was hard to see where they were or how large it was. Once the door closed behind Mia and Fred, however, torches suddenly flared to light along the entire length of the walls.

Neville gasped when he looked around "Is this…"

"A life-sized Wizard's Chest board? Looks like it," George answered cheerfully.

"What's so dangerous about chess?" scoffed Nicola and before anyone could stop her, she climbed the steps up to the board started walking across it. Before she could cross the white pieces, the pawns suddenly moved. They unsheathed their swords and crossed them, effectively blocking her path. Nicola gasped and jumped back startled, narrowly avoiding running into one of the swords.

"Does that answer your question?" Draco asked sardonically. Nicola just blushed and quickly moved back to the group, careful to keep a distance from the chess pieces.

"We'll have to win to cross," Mia told the group as she examined the board.

"This has McGonagall written all over it," Fred said appreciatively. The woman might be strict and scary, but no one could say her magick wasn't impressive.

"So how do we do this?" Harry asked as he made to step onto the board. Before he could, however, Draco yanked him back.

"Idiot!" Draco hissed. "If you step on, you'll have to be a player. Look!" he said as he pointed to the right wall. There, on a chalkboard under "Blacks" was Nicola's name.

"What? I can't play!" Nicola squeaked out when she saw it. Her eyes widened, no doubt in fear of having to play a game she knew very little about.

"Well you have to now or we can't pass," snapped Draco.

"Stop it, that isn't helping," Neville said with a frown.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ Longbott–"

"Draco," Harry said warningly. Draco stopped but made sure his displeasure was known with a scowl.

Mia had been quiet this entire time, looking around at each person in the group and trying to decide how to best get past this. She knew Harry would have to be one of the players, he was too good not to be. Nicola _had_ to be involved. She just couldn't decide who else would join them.

"Neville," someone said beside her. She looked over to see Fred standing close by.

"Sorry?" she asked a bit confused.

"You're trying to figure out who's going up there. Send Neville. He's brilliant with chess. He's beat everyone in our House," he said with a nod towards his roommate.

"I'm not 'sending him up there'. He has to choose," she told him with a shrug. Fred rolled his eyes at her response.

"Oi, Nev! You going up there?" Fred called over. Mia was about to scold him when Neville just nodded and stepped up to the board, without warning. Immediately, his name was written under their 'team', below Nicola's.

"Oh thank goodness," Nicola said, sounding very relieved.

"Right, so we have Nicky and Neville, who else?" Draco asked.

Harry looked over at his sister and she nodded her understanding. He stepped up beside Neville, and looked over as his name appeared on the board. Surprisingly, George stepped up beside him.

"I didn't know you played," Nicola said surprised.

"Oh, Georgie's excellent at strategy. He can beat dad at it, he just doesn't play often," Fred said confidently.

"Who's going to play what?" Mia asked as she looked around at the large stone pieces.

"I'll be the right knight," Neville said. As he finished speaking, they noticed the horse suddenly knelt. Neville stared hard before moving and mounting it, gripping the reigns hard.

"I guess I'll take the Queen," George said before the Queen rose from her throne and walked off the stage. He walked over quickly and sat in her empty seat with a grin.

"Nicky, you be the King. It's the safest spot," Harry told her. Just like before, the King rose and left the board, leaving Nicola the empty throne. "I'll take the Bishop." When the Bishop walked off, Harry quickly took its spot.

"I reckon this is going to be exactly like Wizard's Chess, so be careful," Fred called out to them. All of them nodded somberly, Nicola paling at his words.

The game moved quickly and brutally. The stone players were struck down and broken when they were taken, sending shards of stone flying everywhere. Since Nicola was the King, she had to make the official move. The boys would discuss strategy before settling on a decision, giving Nicola the signal to call out their play. Everything was going well until about an hour in when they made a wrong move and Neville was taken.

The Queen stood from her throne and struck out with her scepter, ramming it into the stone horse that reared back and threw Neville off. Mia saw it happening in slow motion, saw Neville fall back and his head bounce off the marble floor, knocking him unconscious. As the horse broke, pieces of it blew out and hit Neville. She saw a large one land on his leg, and they could hear the sickening snap of bone breaking.

"NO!" Mia yelled out and would have run forward if Fred hadn't caught her.

"They're still playing! You can't go up there, you have to wait!" Fred yelled as he struggled to keep his hold on her. Her hair was sparking and scorching his clothes, but he didn't let go.

"Mia, calm down! You'll only distract them more!" Draco said as he came over and helped Fred. Mia looked up at him with watery eyes and nodded. It was her fault Neville was hurt, she was the one that had asked him to help them with this stupid venture.

She looked up at the board and saw Nicky crying and the boys looking extremely pale. It took awhile to calm Nicola down, enough that she would call out their plays once more. Their confidence was shot, however, and it wasn't long before they made their second mistake. George saw what was about to happen and told Nicky what play to call. He moved forward in his throne until he was directly in front of Nicky. Directly in the line of fire of the whites' rook. The soldier atop the castle struck out with its sword, barely missing George as he leaped off the throne. The throne exploded, knocking George back and making him hit his head against the leg of one of the other pieces. Chunks of the broken throne landed on him, hitting his prone form in several places. This time it was Mia's turn to hold Fred back.

"GEORGE!" Fred yelled as Draco and Mia kept him in place. He was much stronger than Mia physically and eventually she had to hook her leg behind him and push him to the floor. She grappled with him until she pinned him down and he looked up at her.

"Fred! Freddie listen to me! They're almost done, we have to wait a bit longer!" Mia told him. He was trying to buck her off but eventually he seemed to understand and he nodded. He slumped beneath her and she cautiously let him go. He sat up and Mia hugged him, trying to keep him calm so he wouldn't rush to his twin's side. She knew how difficult it must be for him, knew that she would be the same if it had been Harry getting hurt.

It didn't take long after George's sacrifice to end the game. They were able to capture the Queen, and they landed a checkmate soon after. As soon as white King threw down his sword and walked off the board, they ran onto the board to check on their friends. Nicola was already by Neville's side, checking him over. Mia ran to his side since he had been the first one to go down.

When Nicola lifted his head from the floor, they could see a bloody pool beneath it. Mia felt her blood run cold but knelt down beside him immediately.

"Get back," Mia told Nicola curtly.

"Not bloody likely! He needs help, we need to take him back," Nicola said with a frown.

"Nicola. Get. Back." Mia said as he turned a fierce glare on the girl. Her eyes glowed in her face, alight as her magick rose within her. Despite the slight chill from her gaze, Nicola opened up her mouth to argue again when Mia lost her patience and raised her hand, sending Nicola sliding a few yards back with her magick.

Before Nicola could recover, Mia set Neville down and placed her hand over his broken leg. She felt her hand heat up with power and saw the golden glow of her healing magick. She heard the bone snap back into place, saw as it had moved beneath the skin she could see through his ripped trouser leg. When she was sure that it was fine, she moved to his head and gently cradled his head. Her hands heated once more and a golden halo seemed to surround his head as she healed the gash she had seen when Nicola lifted his head. She felt the skin knit back together under her fingers and when she turned his head, the gash had closed. She kept the spell, however, because she knew he might have suffered a concussion from his fall. After a minute she let it fade away and placed him gently back down, finally glancing up at her friends.

Everyone beside her brother was staring at her disbelievingly. Nicola's expression was once again shadowed in fear, while Draco's held the previous hurt of before. She couldn't quite decipher Fred's expression, though she tried. She quickly dropped her gaze and hurried over to where George was lying on the ground.

She couldn't see any broken bones but she saw quite a few gashes on his head and arms. She quickly healed the larger ones to stop him bleeding so much, before moving on to his head. Like with Neville, she maintained the spell longer than necessary to make sure any concussion he may have suffered in the fall was healed. She checked him over once more before deciding there really wasn't much more she could do. She stood up and walked over to where Harry was.

"They need to be taken to Madame Pomphrey. I did my best but I'm not a Healer. I don't know if there was something on the inside I can't see," she told him seriously, still avoiding everyone else's burning gaze.

"No, I won't leave you," Harry said with a glare.

"You're the only one who can get them back up, passed Fluffy. Take the brooms and levitate them up. You're the only one strong enough to do it. Send an owl to Professor Dumbledore, or get Professor McGonagall. Tell her I didn't listen and came by myself anyway. She'll have to come then," Mia told him as she squeezed his hand.

"No! You saw everything we did so far. You can't go alone!" Harry all but snarled at her. He would _not_ let his sister get hurt, he had promised his dad.

"We both know I can handle it," she said quietly, the gold in her eyes glowing.

"No, I refuse to let you go by yourself," he said firmly.

"I'll stay," Fred said suddenly, stepping closer to the arguing siblings. "One of us has to anyway, there are only three brooms. I can't help George but I can stay and help Mia."

Harry looked at him hard for a moment before turning to look at his sister. "I don't like it," he said and Mia knew he would do it.

"I know. But we have to. Papa would be disappointed if we didn't take care of our friends," she told him as she stepped forward to hug him tight. "I'll be fine," she promised.

"You better be," he muttered. He stepped back and nodded to Draco and Nicola. " _Mobilicorpus,"_ he said as he raised his wand in Neville's direction. He repeated the action with George's body and turned to exit the room, Draco and Nicola following after him.

"Just you and me now," Fred said with a wink.

"Oh shut it, let's keep moving," she said but she couldn't help a small smile from slipping through.

"Lead on, O Powerful Lady" he said with a bow. Mia rolled her eyes but moved across the board to the door she could see set in the wall. Luckily this one wasn't locked and they cautiously pushed it open.

The stench was the first thing to hit them. It smelled absolutely _horrid_ , like spoiled milk and a hundred dirty socks. They both wrinkled their noses in distaste and raised their hand to plug their nose. When they finished walking inside, they saw a creature Mia had hoped to never set eyes on again. In the center of the room a Mountain Troll was in the process of getting up, swaying as though it had just regained consciousness.

"He couldn't have stayed out for a few more?" Fred whined.

"No use complaining now," Mia said as the troll turned and saw them.

It gave a loud roar and charged, dragging its giant club behind him. Fred grabbed Mia's hand and ran, ducking around a column right as the troll swung its club. They expected the column to give, but someone had obviously reinforced them to withstand the troll. They continued to zig-zag between the columns until the troll was swaying again, dizzy from all the turning. Fred then turned around and lifted his wand.

" _Wingardium leviosa!"_ He yelled, the swish and flick of his wand sent the troll's club flying into the air. It raised its head in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened to its club, when Fred released the spell right over him. The heavy club landed heavily on the troll's head and promptly knocked him unconscious.

"That was brilliant," breathed Mia. Such a simple spell, but so effective.

"Thank you. It's pretty useful to drop eggs on unsuspecting Prefects too," he said with a grin. He was praying Mia wouldn't notice that his ears had gone red at her compliment.

Mia laughed, picturing Horatio running around with egg yolk running down his head. "We better keep going," she finally said as she started walking across the chamber. They made sure to give the troll a wide berth, sticking close to the edge of the circular room.

"I wonder if these rooms have always been here. Wonder what they used them for," Fred said as he looked back at the room filled with columns.

"No idea. If we get out in one piece, we'll ask Dumbledore," Mia told him. She had been wondering the same thing since they had landed in the Devil's Snare.

When they walked through the door, they came into a room that was much smaller than all the other ones they had been inside of. It was the size of a bedroom, with a single wooden table in the middle that had various bottles on top. They walked forward and as soon as they had cleared the doorway, purple flames shot up to surround it. Across the room, black flames erupted around their exit as well.

"Well that complicates things," Fred said calmly. Mia hummed her agreement as she stepped closer to the table. She could see a parchment on it with writing.

"It's a riddle," she said out loud.

"Read it, then" Fred said as he picked up one of the bottles.

 

" _Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,"_

 

"Seems simple enough so far," Fred said with a shrug. "Sorry," he said when he saw Mia's annoyed glance.

 

" _Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._ "

 

"That's it?" Fred asked incredulously.

"Papa always says that a lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic," Mia said with a grin.

"But it's not even that hard," he said with a snicker. Mia just shrugged and looked at the puzzle once more.

"Poison in the first?" she asked after a few minutes of them examining the riddle and the bottles.

"That's what I think. Which means the next two are poison as well, since the killers are 'waiting in line'" he told her. He moved those aside, leaving four bottles to choose from.

Mia moved forward and picked up the last one and sniffed it. "This one won't help and it's not the nettle wine," she said as she set it aside. She picked up the one next to it and poured some on the table. She saw the distinctive blue color and grinned. "This one's the nettle wine."

Fred followed her example and opened the one on the edge and poured some out too. "Nettle wine here too. Next to the poison. So that means this one's the one that will take us through the weird black fire," he said triumphantly. When he opened the bottle, however, it was to see only about a mouthful of potion left. "Well that's just not fair," he said with a pout.

"What?" Mia asked alarmed.

"There's barely enough for one of us," he told her. Mia rolled her eyes and performed the refilling charm on the bottle.

"Are you a wizard, or aren't you? Gamp's Laws, remember?" she asked with a grin.

"Right," he said sheepishly, ears a bit red.

They both took a swing from the bottle, shivering as their bodies flashed cold.

Fred looked at the bottle and refilled it, when Mia gave him a questioning look, he explained. "We'll need to come back through," he said with a shrug.

"Good thinking."

Fred placed the small bottle in his pocket before giving her a nod and walking to the door. They stepped through the black flames with no problem, high-fiving each other when they made it to the other side before freezing. They had come into a room that was well lit by torches and they could see Professor Quirrell standing at the end of the room, in front of a mirror that Mia recognized immediately.

' _New home indeed,'_ she thought as she stared at the Mirror of Erised.

"I must say, I'm surprised to see you here and not your brother," Professor Quirrell called out, without a hint of his stutter.

"He got tied up," Mia said, trying to stay calm.

" _The girl. Use the girl,"_ a cold voice hissed out.

Quirrell turned around and faced them, holding his hand out to summon them but Mia was quicker. She grabbed George and pulled him behind one of the marble columns that circled the room. Spells couldn't penetrate physical objects.

"Clever girl, but you can't escape," Professor Quirrell said with a chuckle.

Mia gripped her wand and frantically thought of what to do. She looked at Fred who was staring at Quirrell intently and touched his arm. When he looked down at her, she pulled his head down to whisper in his ear.

"First chance we get, we make a run for it. Send the leg-lock curse when I give you the signal," she told him with forced calmness. Truth was, she was absolutely terrified. She knew that she needed to show as little of her power as possible, which meant she would need to rely on Mr. Travers's training, not Professor Snape's. Something told her the last person she wanted to know about her magick was Professor Quirrell.

"If you come out now, I won't hurt your friend," he sing-songed. Mia grabbed Fred's arm and ran behind the next column. As they ran, she felt the air heat behind them with the energy of the spell he threw. Whatever it was, it didn't feel friendly.

Mia peaked around the column and saw Quirrell taking careful steps towards them. "We need to get behind the mirror. He won't damage the mirror," she told Fred. He nodded and on the count of three, they sprinted. When she felt Quirrell's magical energy spike, Mia pointed her wand behind them.

" _Protego Maxima!"_ she hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

The spell he used must have bounced off her shield and hit him because they heard him hiss in pain and stumble.

' _FOOL. Get the girl!'_ the voice said again.

Professor Quirrell straightened up and Mia could see a patch of blood on his right side, by his arm. It made her blood run cold because that had been intended for them. She was so busy staring that she didn't notice him raise his hand once more. Her body jerked from behind the mirror and flew to him, right into his waiting arms.

"Mia!" Fred called. He was started to take a step forward but Quirrell sent a spell his way, making him duck behind the mirror once more.

"Now, now. Don't be rash Mr. Weasley or I'll have to hurt her," he said in a chiding tone. Mia tried to struggle but he only tightened his grip and moved her to stand in front of the mirror.

"I have a problem, Ms. Black. You see, when I look into it, I see myself holding the stone. But _how_ do I get it? You're a very clever witch, surely you have some ideas," he said as he gripped her chin and forced her to look into the mirror.

Despite Mia not moving, she saw her reflection holding out a blood-red stone and tucking it into the zippered pocket of her running jacket. She even threw herself a _wink_ and a raised her finger to her lips, the universal signal for 'don't say anything'. Seeing this, Mia subtly pressed her arm against her side and felt something hard digging into it, making her go still. She had the stone. She had no idea why or how it got there, but she knew she was suddenly in a lot more danger.

" _Well this complicates things,"_ she thought, repeating Fred's earlier words.

"What do you see?" Quirrell hissed, tightening his hold on her chin.

She thought frantically and said the first thing that popped into her head. "I see myself standing with my family, but I'm older. I have the Head Girl badge and Slytherin's just won the House cup."

" _Liesssss. Let me speak with her,"_ the cold voice returned.

"Master, you're not strong enough yet," Quirrell said, a quiver to his voice.

" _You dare question me?"_ it said, it hissed angrily.

"No! No, of course not. As you wish, my Lord," Quirrell said hastily. Then he did something very curious. He began to unwrap his large purple turban, slowly peeling away layer after layer. Finally, when he was done, he stepped back from her and turned around. What Mia saw, made fear grip her heart. In the back of his head was a _face_. It was chalk-white with ruby-red eyes that had slits where the pupils should be, like a cat or snake. She turned and ran up the steps but before she could make it far, Quirrell caught her, spinning her around once more.

"Oh, that's disgusting, that is," Fred said from his spot when he saw the face looking at him, before ducking behind the mirror again. Quirrell turned around once more, putting her level with the horrid face.

Mia didn't know whether to be impressed or horrified at her friend for making such a blasé comment about what was happening right then. Then the red eyes shifted and focused on her, and she didn't dare move.

" _Do you know who I am, girl?"_ he asked Mia, the mouth opening grotesquely as it spoke. Mia numbly shook her head and his eyes narrowed. _"I am Lord Voldemort,"_ he hissed out.

Hearing those words made Mia suddenly grateful that he brother was not in that room with her. He would have lost it, being confronted by his parents' murderer.

" _I have come to collect something that's mine,"_ he told her, eyes watching her.

"The stone belongs to Nicolas Flamel," she said without thinking.

" _Flamel is a fool to waste its talents. I tried to make him see reason but he refused. But he will learn that you do not say no to Lord Voldemort,"_ he hissed angrily, his eyes going brighter for a second. _"You will help me. I know you have the stone,"_ he said, making ice run through her veins. Then his voice changed, becoming softer, hypnotic. _"Give me the stone and I will give you all that you have ever wanted. I will give you power and influence, more than you could ever dream of. People will know your name when you leave this school, you will be feared and respected by all."_

For a moment, his voice painted a picture that made Mia waver. In it, nobody taunted her or ridiculed her. Nobody pushed her around, called her names, or bullied her for her strange eyes. In the picture, she stood tall and watched as everyone that had ever treated her like dirt was on the floor before her, writhing and screaming as they paid for their transgressions in pain and blood. It was that last part that snapped her out of it, that made her look away from his eyes. No matter how angry she was, she would never want that.

"I'm not a fan of blood," she said before she struck out with her foot. She kicked Quirrell straight in the middle of his back, causing him to lurch forward and fall down on the steps. He tried to catch himself but his face still hit the edge of a stone step and one of his wrists broke. He cried out when his wrist gave, making him land hard on his shoulder.

" _Get the stone! Kill her!"_ Voldemort yelled, but Mia was ahead of him. She ran forward and kicked his face, sending Quirrell tumbling back with a broken nose, cracking his head against the stone floor. She heard Voldemort screech in fury and ran to get Fred.

"C'mon we don't have a lot of time before he's up!" she said, sprinting to the black flames.

"Here!" Fred said as shoved the bottle at her. He had already taken a swing. Mia quickly took a drink and shuddered at the cold before running through the black flames.

"Get the other potion!" Mia yelled as she heard Quirrell roar behind them. Fred ran to the table and picked up the one that would get them through the purple flames before uncorking it and taking a drink. Mia took a swing and they were off, running through the flames once more.

"The troll!" Fred yelled, ducking as it swung its club.

Mia reacted instinctively. She raised her hand and her magick surged forward, blasted the troll and sending him crashing back. It didn't knock him out but it gave them enough time to keep running and make it through the door. She grabbed Fred and ran across chess board, blasting through the stone pieces when they tried to block the way.

"Why didn't you just do that the first time?!" Fred yelled annoyed.

"I didn't really know how!" she yelled back as they slid through the door. She could hear the roar of the Mountain Troll as Quirrell made it into its chamber.

"What does that even mean?" he said as they ducked into the room full of flying keys.

"My magick sort of reacts when I'm afraid or in danger. I'm not always sure how it works," she panted as they ran across the room. They were about to reach the door when it flew open in front of them and Professor Dumbledore stepped out, his power radiating out from him in formidable waves.

"The stone? Has he got the stone?" he asked them quickly.

They frantically shook their heads. "No, sir. I have it," Mia gasped out, patting her pocket.

"Excellent. Now get behind me!" he ordered when the door on the other side exploded. "Ah, Tom. I would say it's good to see you, but then, we've never lied to each other before," the Headmaster said cordially. Mia and Fred stared at him in disbelief, wanting to know why he wasn't trying to disarm the evil DADA professor.

" _Dumbledore,"_ came the hiss from behind Quirrell's head.

"Quirinus, my boy, you have stepped far into the darkness, but you can still return from it," the Headmaster tried to appeal to the young man. Quirrell, however, just laughed.

"And what can you offer me? Penance? A nice cell in Azkaban? I think not," he sneered before he waved his wand and all the keys zeroed in on them, launching themselves like missiles towards Mia and Fred.

Dumbledore raising his own wand and a shield erected itself like a blue-tinted dome around them. As the keys came through, they were vaporized and all that hit them was a fine-grain sand. Then Dumbledore did a complicated movement with his wand, and ropes of water erupted from his wand. He manipulated them until they circled Quirrell, forming an ever-tightening ring around him. Quirrell yelled and Mia could see his mouth move to form a spell, and suddenly the ice around him froze. He flicked his wand out and the shards of ice flew in their direction…and Mia felt her magick surge forward.

"Headmaster, hide us!" she told him. Dumbledore threw her a quick glance but complied, releasing a dense fog around them. As soon as he did so, Mia summoned her magick. She brought her hands up in front of them and all of the ice shard stopped less than half a meter away from them. They hovered in the air for a moment before they melted into a puddle around them.

" _Does the great Albus Dumbledore hide behind smoke screens?"_ hissed the voice of Lord Voldemort. Hearing that voice made Dumbledore's head glance up and a hard look came into his eyes. He raised his wand and sent a purple spell through the fog, never allowing their cover to fade. Whatever spell he sent finally hit, because they could hear Quirrell yell in pain.

Mia tried to ignore it all to keep her concentration as she knelt and put her hands on the ground. She could sense Quirrell's magick ahead of them and focused on the ground below him. Suddenly she balled up her hands and hit the floor hard, sending a shockwave that nearly made Dumbledore and Fred stumble. She heard the ground crack and could feel it bending to her will, to her fear and fury. All she could think of was of her brother, waking up crying and screaming from nightmares from the night his parents were murdered. She knew that's what they were, had heard her uncle and her father discussing it late one night. And it was all because of that _thing_ that had possessed her professor.

The ground shuddered and broke to swallow Quirrell's legs, trapping him, holding him for Mia. As soon as she stood once more, Dumbledore released the fog and they saw what she'd done. Quirrell had sunk into the floor up to his knees and was struggling to free himself. He held his left arm close to his body, probably from the spell the Headmaster had sent through, and kept firing spells into the ground in futile attempts to release his legs. As they watched, a gash opened on his neck began to bleed profusely, saturating his robes with blood.

"Not so fast Tom," Dumbledore said beside them. He had just raised his wand to send off another spell when Quirrell began to scream in pain. They could see the veins in his face and neck turn black, and something below his skin _moved._ It began to pour out of him, through the opening on his neck, as thick black smoke. The Headmaster was too shocked to do anything, the children too scared to tear their eyes away. As the smoke took the figure of a man, Mia felt Fred move closer to her, pushing her slightly behind the Headmaster. Quirrell gave one last ear-splitting scream and then went limp, falling back. The smoke looked dense for a moment, its head swiveling to look in their direction before the cold voice of Voldemort filled the room.

" _You have learned new tricks in your old age, Dumbledore. Don't worry, I'll be back to finish with the boy; I have unfinished business with him. And next time, I won't need a vessel."_

The smoke then launched itself through the wall, disappearing and leaving nothing but a scorch mark in its wake.

Once the smoke was gone, Mia ran to the fallen professor before Dumbledore or Fred could stop her. She placed her hands on his body and they glowed a brilliant gold, but the gash on his neck would not close. It oozed blood and she could hear his erratic breathing, but no matter how much magic she brought to, the gash remained open.

"NO!" she screamed when she saw him stop breathing. She summoned as much power as she could, until the air around her glowed and crackled with power and the air smelled of ozone. Still, the professor's chest did not rise. She began to cry hysterically then, beating her hands on his chest, trying to _will_ her magick into him.

"Mia!" Fred yelled her name from outside the golden dome that her power had created. But she was too focused on the dead man before her to hear him.

Dumbledore watched everything with a critical eye, watched her eyes glow and her hair spark, but made no attempt to approach her. Fred didn't like the look he was giving his friend; it was the same look he saw in his mother's eyes when she was trying to decide how much use she'd get out of something expensive. Fred looked back at Mia, crying as she tried to bring back the dead, and set his shoulders in determination. Without giving himself time to think, he rushed into the dome and gasped as her power enveloped him.

At first it felt like his whole body was being shocked repeatedly. Then he felt something reach out to him, assessing him, prodding him this way and that. He must have passed some sort of test because then the pain receded, and all he could feel was an intense warmth. He went to Mia and pulled her hands away hard, breaking her concentration and making her magick snap back into her. Her hair stopped sparking and the dome disappeared, leaving a pale circle etched in the stone. Mia looked up at him and threw her arms around him, sobbing hard.

Fred held his friend as she shook, crying himself and trying not be sick at the sight of their professor laid out beside them. He could see a pool of blood around his head and he had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat at the sight. He had to close his eyes and concentrate on not throwing up all over his friend.

"C'mon Mia, we have to get up," he whispered shakily. He opened his eyes and glanced up at the Headmaster, begging him for help. He saw the hard blue eyes soften once more as Dumbledore took a step towards them. He waved his wand and suddenly a black blanket settled over Quirrell, hiding him from view.

Fred stood up, keeping a hold of Mia, and started walking towards the door Dumbledore had come through. He trusted the Headmaster would be following behind them—he just needed to get himself and Mia out of that room. He walked up the stairs and through the sloping corridor until he reached the room with the Devil's Snare. It felt like they walked forever, but it was really only minutes. When he opened the door, he raised his wand.

" _Lumos Maxima,"_ he said as he pointed his wand towards the ground. The plant retreated from the light, letting them pass through until they stood under the trap door they had fallen through. "Well, this is going to be harder this time around," he said out loud, voice still thick with tears.

"Allow me, Mr. Weasley," he heard Dumbledore say behind him. Fred turned his head and saw the Headmaster point his wand at them, before he and Mia began to float upwards.

"What about Fluffy?" he yelled back down to Dumbledore.

"He should still be asleep," the Headmaster replied serenely.

At this point, Mia had stopped crying and was looking rather numb. When they came out of the door, they saw Fluffy in the corner next the Groundskeeper, who was playing a flute.

"Oh, thank gods yer alright," he said as saw them come through. Mia rushed to him and threw her arms around him…or well his waist, which was all she could reach even when he was sitting down. "There now lass, it's alright now," he said gruffly as he put his hand on her back. Mia sniffled a bit more and clung to him tighter. She had gotten quite close to the giant man over the year and she felt safe in his presence.

"Uh, Hagrid…" Fred said, voice unsteady as he pointed to Fluffy.

"Oh he won't do nothin'. Not when mummy's here. Ain't that right Fluff? There's a good boy," he told the giant beast as it lay down, rolling over for a belly rub. Mia saw this and gave a watery giggle as Hagrid stood to rub the Cerberus's belly.

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Mia was feeling bone tired. It was a struggle to lift her arms or move her feet, and she knew she had used too much magick down in the chambers. She started swaying and tried to steady herself on the chair that Hagrid had been using, only to miss and stumble.

"Mia!" Fred said and tried to rush over but Hagrid got there first.

"I got ya," Hagrid rumbled as he picked her up and cradled her against his chest like a child. She was about to give her thanks when the ringing in her ears got worse and everything went black.


	15. The Aftermath

"SIRIUS GET DOWN HERE!" Moony roared from the library. He heard a crash upstairs before Sirius came running through the door a minute later. He was shirtless and wearing some pajama bottoms, his hair in a disarray. He had obviously been asleep already.

"Shite Moony, I think I just lost a few years," he said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"We need to go. Now." Moony said. "Something's happened at the school. Minerva flooed." He was talking in short snippets, his eyes blazing amber in his face. Knowing his pups were in danger or hurt had brought Moony to the forefront.

Sirius paled with the news. "Give me two minutes," he said, running out of the room once more. True to his word, he was back in two minutes, dressed in the first shirt and trousers he'd found, his wand in hand.

"We've been temporarily connected to Albus's office," Moony said as he grabbed a handful of floo powder. Sirius nodded and followed after him as he disappeared in a burst of green flames

\---------

"What?" Sirius said, his voice deceptively calm and soft.

"Now, Sirius," Albus started but Sirius wasn't having it.

"That's twice now, Albus. TWICE I'VE HAD TO RUSH HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MANAGE TO KEEP MY CHILDREN SAFE," he roared, losing his calm. Moony growled behind him, glaring at the Headmaster.

"I was needed somewhere else. I never expected this would happen, or I wouldn't have kept the stone here," Albus tried to explain.

"Oh, don't give me that shite! You baited that fucking bastard, and you know it. I told you what we found out! I told you as soon as we tracked him to Albania! I told you about the disappearances that suddenly stopped! You knew he was back and was on the move and YOU ALL BUT PUT A BLOODY ADVERT IN THE _PROPHET_ THAT THE STONE WAS HERE, SENDING HAGRID FOR IT. SO DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THIS TO FUCKING HAPPEN!" Sirius said as he slammed his fists on the Headmaster's desk.

"Sirius—"

"One good reason, Albus. One reason we shouldn't send them off to Beauxbatons," Remus growled out, hanging on by a thread.

Albus leaned back in his chair and examined them both before speaking. "Because it will leave Mia vulnerable. I know about the prophecy, about her powers. I saw the girl command fire, water, and earth down in those chambers. Saw her use healing magick. I saw her _power_ ," he said, an almost greedy look in his eye. "She's on Voldemort's radar now. This is the safest place for her now, especially now that we've confirmed he's still alive."

"You listen to me very carefully Albus. If you even think of using my daughter as some kind of….pawn or weapon, I will have you sacked in less than a fortnight. I have enough clout on the board to do it, don't think I don't" Sirius warned in a dangerous voice.

"She must be trained. She needs to be prepared to face him," Albus tried to argue.

"You leave that to us. She will be ready. Cassie has seen to it," Moony said, seeing no point in keeping up the charade. He obviously knew who Mia was.

"You _will_ stay away from my children," Sirius told him in a hard voice before they left the room in search of Poppy.

\---------

When Mia finally came to, the first thing she noticed was how _tired_ she felt. Her eyelids felt like lead, refusing to open. She could hear muffled voices around her, and something holding her hand. She tried to make sense of the words she was hearing but she succumbed to sleep once more.

\---------

The second time she regained consciousness, she was able to distinguish words. She could hear Madame Pomfrey somewhere near her.

"You two really should get some rest. I'll get you when she wakes," she heard the school nurse tell someone. She felt the grip on her hand tighten momentarily before she heard another voice. Her uncle.

"Not a chance," came Moony's familiar growl.

"I won't leave her," she heard her father say firmly, but Mia could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "You need to let Harry come see her," he said as she heard him shift in his seat.

"There's nothing he can do for her. He needs his rest too." By the sound of it, this wasn't a new argument.

She wanted to open her eyes and tell her father that she was fine but she could feel the darkness pulling her under once more.

\---------

"I see you've put the Cloak to good use," Remus said softly, as when his nose picked up on some visitors. "No use hiding, Harry. I already caught your scent."

Harry pulled off the Cloak, looking sheepish. Sirius and Remus had been waiting for Harry and Draco to sneak in, what they hadn't expected expecting was to see was Fred, and Neville huddled beneath it with him. He was surprised they had managed to all fit under it.

"We just wanted to see how she was doing," Neville said, shifting nervously.

"How is she? We brought Artemis. We thought it might help," Fred said as he put the kitten on the bed. He kept glancing at Mia's pale and still form worriedly. The kitten immediately padded over to her owner, butting her head against her cheek and letting out a pitiful _meow_. It didn't take long before she burrowed into Mia's curls, purring as she rubbed her nose against Mia's neck.

"Has she woken up yet?" Draco asked as he stepped closer to his cousin.

"Not yet. She used up a lot of her magick down there. Her body's shut down, trying to regenerate it. We don't know when she'll wake," Remus said with a tired sigh. Mia had been unconscious for three days now and Sirius had been restless with worry and rage since, which just made it harder for Remus to keep a leash on Moony.

"Dad, I can help," Harry insisted, looking at his father sitting on the other side of his sister's bed.

"Harry," Sirius cautioned, glancing at his friends. But Harry could care less about that when he looked at his sister, looking so pale in the bed.

"They already saw us do wandless magick. Mia healed Neville and George down there. Fred saw her use elemental. It's not like one more thing will make a difference!" Harry argued. He glanced away from his dad's shocked expression before looking at his sister again. "I can help," he whispered.

Sirius glanced at Remus before turning to stare at Harry and his friends for a long time, saying nothing. Eventually, it had the boys fidgeting nervously and Neville was the first to crack.

"We won't say anything, Lord Black. Mia's our friend. Harry's told us if anyone knew about her, she could be in danger," Neville said earnestly.

"She's family. We protect family," Draco said simply.

When Sirius turned to stare at the Weasley boy, he just stared right back at him. "We can keep a secret," he said with a shrug, glancing at Mia again. Sirius wasn't sure he was happy with what he saw in that look he aimed at his daughter, but he knew the boy was telling the truth. He gave a defeated sigh and Harry grinned before climbing up next to Mia.

"What's about to happen does not leave this room. You will not speak of it again, unless you are safely in the Black Manor. No hinting at it, no code names, no whispering about it on the train. Understand?" Remus asked the children.

"Can I tell George?" Fred asked but at Sirius's glare, promptly shut up.

"If you must. But only if you're alone and there's no chance of being overheard," Remus answered him before Sirius could bite his head off.

While they'd been talking, Harry had quickly gone to lay down next to Mia and grabbed her hand. He closed his eyes and focused on his magick, willing it into her like he had all those months ago. It was much easier this time, easier even than when they practiced with Professor Snape. It felt almost like Mia had been reaching for his magick, waiting for him. He began to steadily feed her a string of his magick, and he could feel her breathing steady and deepen as he did so.

The boys watched with wide eyes as Harry and Mia began to glow a soft gold, almost like a halo surrounding them. It was brightest where their hands were joined, and they could see the effect it was having on Mia. Her breathing lost the labored quality and her cheeks regained some color. Artemis had raised her head when the glowing began before she jumped up and settled on Mia's chest, pawing her curls gently. Harry kept it going until he heard Draco gasp and his father lean forward in his seat.

"Hey there, little fox," he said softly, as he brushed the curls out of her eyes. Mia gave him a faint smile in return, her eyes glowing softly from the power-share.

"Hi Papa. What are you doing here?" Mia asked hoarsely, before coughing. Fred saw a goblet and some water on a table near them and quickly walked over to fill it and handed it to Harry.

"Here, drink this," Harry said he helped her raise her head.

"Hey Jamie. Felt your magick," she told him with a shaky smile.

"Gave us quite a fright, coming to the school to find you unconscious and magically drained," her father said hoarsely. He never wanted to get another floo call like that again. Two was two too many.

"I'm sorry Papa, but I couldn't let him get to it," she told him seriously.

"Mia, you've been unconscious for three days," Remus said as he rubbed his face tiredly. "Next time, maybe ask one of the adults. It's their job to do stuff like this."

"But Professor McGonagall didn't believe us!" Harry defended his sister.

"We both know that's not who I meant," their uncle admonished him.

"Oh. Right," he said, ducking his head. Looking back, it had been foolish to not go to Professor Snape first. He would have believed them.

"Quite," his dad said dryly. "Alright, everyone needs to get back to their dorms. Poppy will have my hide if she finds you here in the middle of the night," he told them, standing to stretch his legs.

"I'm staying with Mia," Harry said immediately, looking at his sister who had already fallen asleep again.

"Fine, but the rest of you need to get going," Sirius said, pointing at the three remaining boys.

"I'm staying as well," Draco said firmly before climbing up on Mia's other side. Neville and Fred turned to stare at Sirius imploringly, and he gave a resigned sigh. Instead of arguing with the lot of them, he turned around and enlarged the bed so they'd all fit. They quickly clambered on, taking the bottom portion of the bed, and it wasn't long before they were all fast asleep.

When Madame Pomphrey pulled back the privacy curtains the next morning, it was to see the children all piled together, a cat snuggled into his side, and two adults asleep on the chairs on either side of the bed. She gave an exasperated sigh before she smiled and left them to sleep a bit longer. She'd scold them all later; for now, they could use some shut eye.

* * *

**11 June 1992**

Mia was sitting on her bed, staring out the infirmary windows, when she heard shuffling near the door. When she glanced over, she saw Madame Pumfrey carrying in her breakfast as she escorted her brother and friends in.

"Good morning, dear. I have brought you some insistent visitors. They've already tried to sneak in twice today; I figure if I let them in for a few, they'll stop making pests of themselves," she said as she gave the children a significant look. "No more than twenty minutes, Mr. Potter. She needs her rest." With that she placed the tray down in front of Mia and went into her office.

"We got you something," George said as soon as the door closed behind the nurse. He reached into the messenger bag he was carrying and pulled out a napkin filled with….something.

"Thank you?" Mia said as she stared at the lump in his hand. Harry laughed and came to sit beside her on the bed. He accidently dislodged Artemis from her place on the pillow and the cat hissed at him as she scuttled down to rest by their feet.

"It's a chocolate scone. Or it was, anyway. I told you your books would smoosh it," Draco told George as he walked around him to sit in the chair beside her bed.

"It'll still taste good," George said defensively, as his twin patted him on the back in consolation. "We just thought you'd want something besides porridge. Especially since it's _infirmary_ porridge."

"It's okay, Gred. It's the thought that counts. Mia will still like it," Fred told him.

George looked at her hopefully and Mia laughed. "Of course. Thank you, George. That was very thoughtful of you."

"How long is Madame Pomfrey keeping you?" Neville asked, startling Mia a bit. She hadn't seen him standing behind the twins.

"Um, not sure. A while, I'd imagine since she wants to make sure I _rest._ She says I was in bad shape when I came in and she doesn't want me 'running around and ruining all her work,'" Mia said as she glanced around the room. "Neville, where's Nicky?" she asked.

Neville shared a look with the twins before replying. "She, uh, she had some studying to do," he told her, not quite meeting her eyes.

"You're not a very good liar, you know. She's afraid of me, isn't she?" she asked softly, remembering the fear in Nicola's eyes when Mia had summoned her fire.

"She's Muggleborn. She's still trying to get used to it all and seeing that much magick from you was just unexpected. She'll get over it," Fred said confidently.

"Now that we're talking about this, what exactly was all that? How the bloody hell did you do all that? More importantly, why didn't I know you could do that?" Draco asked annoyed.

Mia felt Harry's arm tighten around her before he replied. "Leave off her Draco. We can talk about it later, she just woke up from a coma."

"If I remember correctly, _you_ made sure she got all better. So yes, we're talking about it now."

"Draco—"

"It's alright, Jamie. They should know—I mean, I nearly got us all killed, didn't I?" Mia said before she glanced around at the boys. She gave a big sigh before glancing out the window. She didn't need to see the same fear Nicola had shown, reflected in their eyes. "The weekend of our sixth birthday party, the one that was cancelled, do you remember? Yes, well, it was cancelled because Jamie took our father's broom out of the shed and got on. He couldn't control it and it lifted him up into the air before he fell off. I saw him land, saw his arm break and I felt….something. When I ran over to him and touched him, Papa says I healed him. I don't remember much of it, just this feeling of this….heat in my hands and feeling very tired. Jamie says I fainted and fell into the same state you all saw me in after what happened with the stone. We found out Jamie and I can share our magick, and he helped me get better. Healing him was the first time I remember my magick manifesting but since then, I can…do things," she said as she watched the lake ripple in the distance. She glanced around and got caught in Fred's gaze. He was watching her intently, hardly blinking and for a second Mia could have sworn her magick _moved_ , almost like it was reaching out to him. But the feeling was gone in the next moment, making Mia shake her head.

She looked away from him and back to the window. If any of them left after what she said next, she didn't want to see it. "Nothing happened really, until the summer before we came to Hogwarts. The day we got our letters, we decided to go out flying. Jamie pushed us off the brooms into the lake, but our brooms ended up stuck in a tree. I climbed up and got his down, but when I tried to get mine I fell. I never made it to the ground because the tree…caught me. Uncle Remus thinks that my magick reacted to me being in danger and the tree was the closest thing to break my fa—"

"Sorry, _what?_ Did you just say you _made a tree move?_ " Draco asked, mouth agape.

"Trust me, mate. It looked even crazier than it sounds," Harry said with a shake of his head.

"Shhhhh, let her finish!" Neville said, surprising everyone.

"Oh, uh right. Well, since then, I can do elemental magick—or at least that's what my uncle calls it. Papa didn't want anyone to know what I could do because he says people will try to use me, so he made us start training and forbade us telling anyone—even Draco or Aunt Cissy. He had both of us practice wandless magick and do physical training since Jamie got more powerful too, after he shared his magick with me. That's why it's easy for him to wandless magick too. It's the reason we disappear sometimes, and why we're always up early. We go for runs and train out by the lake. I practice my elemental magick a few times a week or it'll start bottling up—if I go too long without exercising it, it can get dangerous. What I down there, most of it I've learned in practice" she told them.

"Most of it? What do you mean?" George asked interestedly.

"Well, my magick sort of has a life of its own sometimes. When I'm really scared or angry, or if I'm in danger, it sort of _makes things happen_. I don't always know _how_ I do it," she said with a shrug.

"So you've been doing magick since before you came to Hogwarts. That's why you pretend in class, isn't it?" Fred asked, startling her.

"Sorry?"

"You do the wand movements wrong, don't you? I've seen you do it, and I know it's not because you weren't paying attention or you couldn't do it. George and I always thought it was strange, but we figured you were just bored in class. But you've been trying to not let anyone know you can already do the spells," he said excitedly, like he had just solved a difficult puzzle.

"She tried to. Apparently, a few professors have noticed her anyway," Harry told them as he leaned over to steal some fruit from her breakfast tray.

"We won't tell anyone, you know. About what we saw. We've been telling people that I was the one that got rid of the Devil's Snare. And that the rest of it, we had to work together to perform the spells," Neville told her suddenly from where he'd taken a seat at the foot of her bed.

"Didn't think you'd want all the attention anyway," George said with a grin. "Now Neville's the one with a fan club, trying to get him to tutor them in Herbology," he said snickering, making Neville turn red.

Mia smiled before turning to look at her cousin. He hadn't said a word since she started explaining and he was the one she was most worried about. She found him staring at her and Harry intently, but when their eyes met his eyes softened.

"I'm not mad so stop looking so worried," he told her.

"I'm sorry we kept it from you," she said quietly. "We wanted to tell you but Papa made us promise to not tell anyone."

"Not that it worked," came a voice from the end of the room. The children started and saw Sirius standing, freshly showered, against the infirmary door. "I leave for an hour to shower and eat and you go around spilling all our secrets," he lamented with a shake of his head.

"We won't say anything Lord Black," George and Fred said immediately. Everyone knew their father and his friends had been the terror of Hogwarts during their own time and the twins were a bit in awe of him. It was almost funny how respectful they were to him.

"See that you don't. I don't need anyone coming after my children," he told them seriously as he came to stand next to his daughter. "Well little fox, now that you're awake and well, I have to go. Your uncle left earlier because something came up, but he told me to give you his love. He'll see you on the platform soon enough."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead and Mia threw her arms around him, wanting to keep him there as long as possible. Her father and uncle's presence had helped to keep the nightmares of what had happened at bay.

"Love you, Papa," she told him and he tightened his hold on her.

"I love you too, little fox. Try to make it through the next two weeks without trouble. I don't need any more floo calls in the middle of the night," he told her seriously, making Mia laugh.

"I'll try but you know what a troublemaker Jamie is. He always drags me in," she said, as her brother sputtered next to her.

"I'll see you soon, pups," he said as he gave Harry a hug. He turned and pointed at the boys around the room. "You'll walk out with me. She needs her rest and Poppy will be less than pleased if I leave you in here. Out you get," he said, shooing them. Draco stopped and gave Mia a quick peck on the cheek before following his uncle and friends out of the room.

* * *

**19 June 1992**

"I still can't believe we won the House Cup," Draco said for the fourth time that day as he pushed his trunk into the overhead rack.

Everyone had heard of what happened down in the chambers. Or well, almost everything. Quirrell's death had been withheld, instead the Headmaster explained his disappearance by saying he had been imprisoned. The events that transpired down in the chambers had been edited to leave out any mention of Mia's magick, and had instead been told as a tale of extreme luck. The ministry was going along with the story because they didn't want parents breaking down their doors with complaints.

Harry and Mia had been awarded sixty points apiece at the End of the Year feast, with the others winning thirty points for their house. It had been enough to push Slytherin from second place to first, stealing the cup from under the Ravenclaws. Her house had stood to give the three first years a thunderous applause when the results were announced—they hadn't won the House cup in nearly five decades.

Mia had been forced to stay in the infirmary for another four days after she regained consciousness. Although Harry had shared his magick with her, it took her body awhile to replenish its magick completely. She had missed exams but her professors had been nice enough to allow her to sit them late, during the week they typically had off. She had passed all of them with the highest grades, except for Herbology. That honor had gone to Neville, as Professor Sprout had awarded him extra credit for his clear head when confronted with the Devil's Snare. Overall, the end of the term had come rather quickly, and they once again found themselves heading home.

Mia was shaken from her thoughts by the compartment door opening, showing the twins and Neville.

"There's our favorite witch!" George said with a large grin before plopping himself down beside Mia. Fred took her other side, pushing Harry off the seat completely in the process. Harry glared at them before going to sit with Neville and Draco, putting the owl cages in the corner of the compartment.

"Never got around to actually thanking you when we stopped by, you know" George said seriously. "Freddie says I got knocked in the head rather hard. Blood and everything."

"It was nothing," she mumbled, looking down at Artemis in her lap.

"Nothing, she says. Like just _anyone_ could do it," Fred said with a chuckle as he threw his arm around her.

"Don't worry, Mia. We'll help you get rid of that pesky modesty," George said as jumped from his seat. "Well lads, I'd love to stay but I heard that Lee has a tarantula on board and I want to go see the beauty. Who wants to join me?" he asked with a clap.

"Is it one of those magical ones?" Draco asked with interest. "I heard they can make themselves grow or shrink."

"Sure is," George said with a grin.

The boys looked at each other before shrugging. Neville, Draco, and Harry all got up and went to follow George out.

"You coming Forge?" George asked over his shoulder.

"No, I already saw it. Besides, those compartments aren't big enough for all of us," he said casually. Mia glanced at him confused but didn't push the subject. George just shrugged and led the way to the front of the train.

"You look like you haven't slept a wink since you woke up," Fred said, once the door closed behind them.

Mia was quiet as she stared out the window at the passing landscape. She thought about lying but decided against it. If anyone could understand, it was Fred.

"I haven't. I keep having nightmares of him. Not being able to do anything," she finally whispered. "Madame Pomfrey gave me Dreamless Sleep while I was in the infirmary, but they started again when I got back to my dorm."

"I have them too," he said just as quietly. Mia sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, you know. Professor Dumbledore said you couldn't heal him because it was made with really Dark magick."

"Yeah, he told me. He came by to see me, it just….it doesn't make it easier,"

"Yeah, I know." They stared out the window for a few minutes before he turned to face her again. "You can sleep now. We have a few hours until we get to London. Might as well get in a kip. I'll wake you up if you start to have one," he told her.

"No, that's alright, you're tired too. You should sleep," she tried to refuse.

"'S alright. George helps me with mine," he said with a shrug. Mia stared at him for another moment before hesitantly nodding.

"Alright. Wake me up if you get tired."

She was going to get up to lie down on the other seat but Fred just took off his jumper and made a pillow with it. He placed it on his lap and pulled her down. Mia pulled her knees up and lay down, Artemis cuddled against her in the front. She glanced at Fred again but he just nodded, so she closed her eyes and gave in to the exhaustion that had been dragging her down since she walked out of the infirmary.

She wasn't sure if it was lulling movement of the train, the fact that she was sleeping in the day, or that Fred was watching over her, but she slept peacefully for the first time since everything happened.

When the boys got back, Fred had fallen asleep leaning against the wall, and Mia was still fast asleep. They looked at each other before deciding to spend the rest of the ride in another compartment.

* * *

**29 June, 1992**

"Mia! Mia wake up, it's okay sweetheart, you're fine," she heard someone murmur as she bolted up. "Shhhh, you're okay," the voice said before someone engulfed her in a warm strong hug.

"Uncle Remus?" she asked shakily, recognizing his smell of parchment and earth. "How—But I put up a silencing ward," she said confused as she woke up fully.

"You can block my hearing but not my nose, sweetheart. I was just getting in from my conference and was passing by your room. I could smell your fear," he said gently as he kissed her forehead.

Mia pulled back and wiped the sweat and tears from her face. She had been having nightmares all week since she'd been back but had put a silencing spell every night to stop her family from knowing. Everyone already walked on eggshells around her.

"Please don't tell Papa," she pleaded. Her father had been awfully overprotective since they've been back. It was suffocating; he had rescinded permission to walk in the forest unless he was with her, and when they were outside they had to have two elves with them at all times.

"Mia—"

"Please, Uncle Remus. He'll just worry and then Jamie will find out and _he'll_ worry. He has his own nightmares to fight and he doesn't know what really happened down there. I don't want him to know," she insisted. Everyone thought Quirrell had just gone Dark, even Harry. The last thing she wanted was her brother finding out that the Dark wizard that murdered his parents, was still roaming the world. Or that Mia had seen him kill someone else.

Remus sighed as he leaned back against her headboard with her still in his arms. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly, rubbing her back.

Mia was quiet for so long, he thought she had fallen back asleep. He was just about to sit up when she finally answered. "I see him dying. But sometimes it's not him, it's Jamie. Or Fred. He said he'd come back for Jamie," she said whispered, starting to shake again.

"Shhh, it's alright, love. He can't hurt you here. And Harry will be fine," he reassured her. He couldn't promise that Voldemort would never come back or that he was gone for good. He wouldn't lie to her.

Mia sniffled a couple of times before she snuffled into his hug more. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep again?" she whispered.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Mia fell asleep quickly, the exhaustion from past sleepless nights catching up with her.

\---------

When she woke up her uncle was gone and it was just after six. Her father had postponed her training with Mr. Travers until July, saying Mia needed to regain her strength first. For now, Harry was training on his own—which meant a lot of running, swimming, and katas since he didn't have a sparring partner.

She got out of bed, careful not to disturb Artemis who was sleeping at the foot of her bed. She showered and changed before she made her way down the hall to her father's room. She hesitated with her hand on the door knob before taking a deep breath and pushing it open.

She could hear the shower on in his bathroom and figured he'd gone out for a morning run. She knew it might be awhile before he was done with his morning routine, so she jumped into his bed and snuggled into his pillow. She was starting to drift off again when his bathroom door opened and he walked out, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Innocent eyes here, before you drop the towel," she said quickly, making him jump.

"Merlin's beard Mia, warn a fellow," he said as he tightened his hold on the towel. "How are you feeling, love?"

"I feel back to normal," she said as he walked into his closet.

"I'm glad to hear it, little fox. I'm sure Harry will be happy to have you back on Wednesday," he called from inside as he dressed.

"But that's two days away and I feel fine now, honest!"

"Be that as it may," he said as he walked out, pulling on a muggle band t-shirt, "I want you to rest until then. It is not up for discussion," he said firmly.

Mia pouted but ultimately gave in. That wasn't why she was there. "I actually wanted to talk to you about training," she said hesitantly.

"Do you want more time before you start?" he asked concerned.

"What? No. I…well, I wanted to ask you something," she said as she reached up to fidget with her necklace. Her father saw the nervous habit and frowned.

"What is it love? Do you want a new trainer? Did something happen with Mr. Travers?" he asked concerned.

"NO! No, Mr. Travers is lovely. No. Papa, will you promise to listen without interrupting or getting angry?" she finally asked. Her father was still frowning, but nodded.

"I want to train more. I want to double my training….but I don't want Jamie to know." At her father's look of surprise, she explained. "What happened down in the chamber…I don't want him to know about it, about Voldemort. And he'll ask questions if we start doubling training, so I want to do it on my own. I was thinking maybe we could floo into London to Mr. Travers's dojo there in the afternoons. You could let Jamie go to Aunt Cissy's or tell him that we're going see someone that can help me with my magick," she rambled on.

"Mia, slow down. Why do you want to double your training? Devon says you're doing very well—that you're already progressing very quickly," he said as he came to take a seat beside her on the bed.

"He'll be back. He said he'd come after Jamie. I barely got me and Fred away and that was just lucky, I want to be better next time. Stronger. But I don't want Jamie knowing about him. His nightmares will come back," she said quietly, looking down into her lap.

Her father sighed and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You are already very strong Mia. I—"

"But not strong enough," she said with a scowl. "I want to be stronger, better. I want to be strong enough to protect Jamie."

It was funny, Sirius thought, how his children were always trying to protect each other from things beyond their control. He didn't like the idea of stripping even more of her childhood away from her, but he knew he'd made a promise. He had to follow through with it.

"Alright. I'll talk to Devon and see if we can stop by after his classes are over. I'll think of something to tell Harry."

"Thank you, Papa," she said seriously. She reached up to give him a peck on the cheek before bouncing out of the room.

Sirius stared at the door long after she'd gone, wondering if he was making the right choice.

* * *

Her plans to keep her extra training had not gone as anticipated. They had gone to visit Mr. Travers in his London dojo one evening to ask about adding training days, but he had turned Mia down flat. He thought it would be too much for her since they were already practicing four days of the week and she was too young for such a strenuous training schedule. He'd told her to come back with her request in a few years.

She had argued, begged, and pleaded, but he had not given in and her father had—to her great surprise and annoyance—supported his decision. To say she had been upset would be a _great_ understatement. Some of that must have shown through, though, because although Mr. Travers didn't change his mind, he did give her a magical training dummy.

It was incredibly frustrating that no one seemed to understand she needed to _be better._ Since her father and trainer weren't going to help with that, she decided she'd put the dummy to good use on her own. So, few days later after everyone had gone to bed she crept down to the ballroom, where no one would accidentally see her. She placed silencing spells on the room and put the toy-like dummy on the floor.

When she'd first seen it, she'd thought Mr. Travers was having her on or that he was making fun of her desire to learn more. The dummy was made of a dark wood, no bigger than her hand, and looked life-like with its details. She was skeptical about how much help it'd be as she stared at it, but when she reached out with her magick and, well….tapped it, it grew to the size of a full-grown man.

As the dummy expanded, Mia took a step back out of sheer surprise. It looked like a wooden man—as if Pinocchio had jumped out of his book and aged twenty years. When she took a step closer, it tracked her movements but it lacked…grace in its movements. When it raised its arm, it was with a short and jerky movement that had her second-guessing the whole thing again.

"This is all probably a big waste of time," she said out loud with a sigh as she took another step toward it. Suddenly her side was on fire and she was stumbling back in shock.

She hadn't even seen the dummy _move;_ jerky or not, that thing was _fast._

"Or maybe not," she grumbled as she rubbed the spot. That was definitely going to bruise and make running in the morning an ordeal.

She spent a little more than an hour locked in that room several nights a week, accumulating bruise after bruise. It would be quite useful if she could heal herself as easily as she healed Harry, but no such luck. Instead, she walked around carefully, trying not to show her limp, and had to quietly suffer through her normal training with Mr. Travers. She was beyond exhausted at the end of the first two weeks, and would fall asleep within moments of her head touching her pillow. Not that she stayed asleep for long, since her nightmares woke her up drenched in sweat and tears.

That night she was so tired that she was considering just taking a nap on the floor as she set up the dummy when the door to the ballroom opened, making Mia freeze. Her father would not approve of her sneaking around to train by herself with no one to help if she got hurt.

"So, this is what you've been doing," came Harry's voice from the doorway as the dummy finished transforming.

"Bloody hell," she muttered under her breath. "What are you doing down here?" she asked, raising her voice.

"Could ask you the same. You're the one that's been disappearing at night and is practically falling over in practice. I mean I knocked you on your back twice yesterday. You can't honestly tell me you didn't think I'd notice how tired you've been," he said as he watched her closely.

"How did you know about that?" she blurted before she could catch herself.

Harry looked embarrassed for a moment and looked away. "I had a nightmare last week. Usually you come but I woke up and you weren't there. When I went to your room, you weren't in bed either," he mumbled. Mia felt a wave of guilt crash into her. She hadn't even considered that he might wake up in the middle of the night to look for her after one of his nightmares, because it had been such a long time since his last one.

"I'm sorry Jamie," she said sincerely.

"Doesn't matter. I just want to know why you've been sneaking down here in the middle of the night. And what's _that_?" he asked, pointing at the dummy.

"Training dummy. Got it from Mr. Travers a few weeks ago," she said quietly, knowing she couldn't lie her way out of this.

"You've been practicing without me? Why?" he asked confused, hurt obvious in his voice.

"It was supposed to be for both of us, but I wanted to try it first. And then when I couldn't sleep, I decided to just come down here and practice," she told him as he came nearer. She might not be able to outright lie about this, but she definitely wasn't about to give him the full truth either.

"I, uh, wouldn't get to close. It's fast, and it packs a wallop," she cautioned when she saw him make a move towards the dummy.

"Why can't you sleep? Is it because of Quirrell?" he asked hesitantly as he veered away from the dummy and towards her.

"What about Quirrell?" she asked sharply, her gaze snapping up to his. He wasn't supposed to know about what happened down there.

"George told me Fred had been having nightmares about the stone before we left school. He wouldn't say what they were about though. Just told me to keep an eye on you," he said softly as she looked away. "Mia, what happened down there? Really?"

"You already know what happened. Quirrell tried to take the stone but we got it away from him and gave it to Dumbledore," she said steadily. Harry scrutinized her for a moment before giving a sigh.

"Fine, don't tell me. But when you're ready to talk, you know I'm always here, right? I won't tell anyone," he said as he stepped forward to give her a hug. Mia hesitated for a moment but soon returned the embrace. "And you don't have to come down here when you have a nightmare. I'm right next door," he said as he tightened his hold. "Merlin knows, you've done it often enough for me."

"Thanks Jamie," she told him, giving him a peck on the cheek. She knew, however, that she wouldn't be coming to him anytime soon.

"And If you're going to be training down here, so am I," he told her seriously as he stepped back.

"Jamie—"

"So am I, Mia," he repeated forcefully with a stubborn set to his jaw.

"Fine. But let's go to bed. We can practice tomorrow afternoon." There was no point in doing this in the middle of the night since she'd only been trying to keep it a secret from Harry. Truth be told, she was more than a bit relieved that she wouldn't have to sneak around at night.

"Fine. We'll talk more about it tomorrow," Harry said as he turned to leave. Mia tapped the dummy again to shrink it and put it in her pocket before running after him. Maybe they could stop for some biscuits on the way back upstairs.

* * *

**23 July 1992**

They were sitting down for breakfast when the owl flew in through the window and dropped a letter into Remus' scrambled eggs, knocking over his coffee in the process.

"Ah! These damn birds need to be retrained," he hissed as the hot beverage spilled onto his legs.

"I think they do it on purpose. He looks very pleased with himself," Harry said with a laugh as he gave the owl a bit of his bacon.

"Who's the letter from, Uncle Remus?" Mia asked as she tried to get a good look at it.

Mia saw him pick up the letter and look at the front, before suddenly looking nervous. He glanced at her father as he opened it and began to read it, when they saw his face fill with a huge smile.

"I got the job," he announced excitedly.

"I told you you would," her father said with an eye roll. "As if anyone would turn you away with that ridiculous resume of yours."

"What job?" asked Harry.

"You applied to a job?" Mia asked surprised. Her uncle had done private consultations and research in Defense and Potions since she could remember, but he'd never worked for anyone besides her father, but that didn't really count.

"You two are looking at your new DADA professor," he announced proudly, making Harry choke on his toast.

"What?" he gasped after he took a drink of his pumpkin juice.

"With Quirrell gone, Albus needed someone to fill the position. I have the experience and qualifications, so I applied," he said with a shrug.

"And he'll be able to be close by to keep you two out of trouble," her father said pointedly.

"But what about the full moon?" Mia asked worried. It's not like he could stroll into class on those days.

"It's been taken care of. I will be off school grounds for the full moon, and another professor will substitute on those occasions. None of the students will be the wiser. Stop looking so horrified, I won't embarrass you. Apart from class, you won't even know I'm there."

Mia and Harry exchanged looks. They really doubted that was true.

* * *

**4 August 1992**

"Are we going to be having our campout again this year?" Harry asked as they let themselves fall back on the ground. They had been using the dummy for an hour and they were both tired and sore. And he thought _Mia_ could hit hard.

"Don't know, haven't asked yet. Do you want to?" she asked, panting slightly as she turned her head to look at him.

Harry shrugged. "Don't see why not. Last year was fun. It'd be nice to see everyone before going back."

"We'll have to see if the Weasleys will be back from visiting Bill in Egypt by then," she mused out loud.

"What about our holiday at the Marseille's villa?"

"We can just do the campout when we get back. Last time we did it the weekend before we went back to Hogwarts. We could do that again, I don't think Papa will mind."

"When did dad want to leave again?" he asked as he looked up at the passing clouds. It looked like it might rain later.

"Full moon's on the 12th and 13th this month, so he'll want to leave on the 15th to give Uncle Remus some time to rest," she answered promptly. The moon's cycle had become habit for her and Harry as they grew up. "We'll probably stay a week or two. We could just ask to come back before 28th so we can have everyone over," she said, already planning everything out.

"Brilliant. Let's go ask right now then," he said, jumping up.

"Race inside?" she asked him with a grin.

"Loser has to clean out the gym bags."

That made Mia wrinkle her nose. Dessy had made them clean them out themselves since she didn't think they should be training at all. They got quite smelly as a result. "Ew. Fine."

"One….two….THREE"

\---------

"Make sure you scrub my socks well," Harry wheezed as he leaned against the door. Mia still couldn't believe he'd won. It was that stupid growth spurt, he'd had. He'd grown two inches taller than her over the summer and his legs were longer now. She refused to think that he was actually faster than her.

"Ugh. Shut up," she said as she stomped inside.

* * *

**27 August 1992**

They had been surprised when, instead of their usual trip to the Black villa in Marseille, they had flooed to a cabin in the Verdon Gorge. They had spent the two weeks there climbing, kayaking, swimming, and hiking. They had even left the elves behind, and had endured their father's cooking. Well, for the first day anyway. After that Uncle Remus had banned him from the kitchen and had taken over the meals.

It was hard at the end of their stay, to leave behind the crystal blue water and towering rock face of the French river canyon, but their father had agreed to a camp-out and the siblings were excited to go home and see their friends.

They had invited the twins, Draco, and Neville to begin with but Mia had felt a bit outnumbered, so she'd gone ahead and invited Pansy, Millie, and Nicola. They were all due to arrive Friday afternoon, giving them a full day after their return from France to get everything ready for the camp-out.

"We'll need more sleeping bags," came Mia's muffled voice from the corner of the attic.

"Didn't think about that. You reckon we have enough time to go buy some more?" Harry replied as he looked around for some spare blankets.

"Ooof, OWWWWW,"

"What happened?" Harry asked concerned as his head appeared from behind a dresser.

"Nothing, I just knocked this box down on my foot," she said as he rubbed her throbbing toes. She knew she should have changed out of her sandals before they came up here.

"What'd you do that for?" he said shaking his head as he went back to looking for the blankets.

"Well I didn't do it on purpose!" she protested.

"Just watch where you go bumping into. There's probably some really valuable stuff up here. Probably dangerous too, with the family's history," he muttered as he moved deeper into the attic.

' _Should have just asked the elves for help,'_ Mia thought to herself as she went back to looking for any blankets or sleeping bags.

"We don't have time to ask Papa or Uncle Remus to go buy more, and there obviously won't be any up here since they're a muggle thing and the family hasn't exactly been known for its approval of _anything_ Muggle. We could ask Tilly to transfigure some blankets though," she finally said after a few more minutes of searching.

Harry's head popped up from behind a pile of trunks, hair a mess and glasses askew. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?" he asked as he rubbed a spider web from his face. "We probably don't even have to ask her. We could probably do it ourselves," he said as he came over to her, carrying several blankets and quilts.

"We could try, but I don't how much good they'll be. All _I've_ ever transfigured was that net, and it wasn't exactly a masterpiece," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, we co—"

"What are you two doing up here," came the sharp voice of their father, making them jump.

"We were just–"

"You need to get downstairs. There's too many trunks and boxes filled with Dark artifacts up here. It's not safe up here for you two," he said, shooting a look at one of the trunks in the corner.

"We were just looking for blankets for tomorrow night," Harry explained, as he headed towards the door. Mia jumped off the box she'd been sitting on and trailed behind him, shooting one last glance behind her.

"Let the house elves know, they can bring them down," Sirius told them as he closed the door behind them firmly.

"Alright."

"I don't want either of you going up there by yourselves. Ask me or your uncle before you go searching about in those old trunks. I don't want you getting hurt," he told them.

"Yes Papa"

"Yes dad"

"Good. Now then," he said with a clap, "I came looking for you to tell you that I managed to get a few more brooms so you can fly with your friends. Same rules still apply, however. One of the elves has to be with you, and you must stay within sight. No flying over the mansion or into the forest,"

"That's brilliant!" Harry said with a huge grin.

"Thank you Papa," she said elbowing her brother.

"Right. Thanks dad," he said quickly, rubbing his side.

"You're welcome, pups. I better go help your uncle in the library. He's trying to put together his lesson plan for the year," he said as he headed back downstairs.

"That was strange," Mia said when he finally disappeared.

"What was?" Harry asked as he placed the blankets on the floor.

"He said there were Dark artifacts but I didn't see or feel any magick in the room," Mia told him, looking back at the attic door.

"They're probably in a special box, like the safe he has in the library," he said absently, extending the blankets so they could transfigure them.

"What safe?" Mia asked confused.

"Hmm? Oh, there's a safe behind one of the paintings. Heard him and Uncle Remus talking about some book they keep in there because it's too Dark. Must have been one of Uncle Cygnus's—they were the Blacks that lived here before," he told her as he stood up.

"I thought father's family lived here before," she said surprised.

"No, they lived in London. He doesn't talk about them much, or anyone besides Aunt Cissy and Aunt Dromeda. I asked him about them once, when I was little. He said they all died during the war. He didn't want to live in the house he grew up in, so he moved here with Uncle Remus after my parents died. I thought you knew," he said with a shrug.

"No. I guess I've never really asked. I mean I know Aunt Dromeda is family, but I've never met her. She's just a name I know because Papa has mentioned it and because of the family tree Aunt Cissy made us memorize. I never asked specifics about any of it, though," she said quietly as she glanced back at the attic again. "So, Aunt Cissy grew up here?"

"Think so. I mean she must have if this was where Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella lived, right? This is where the Black patriarch always lives," he told her as he made a vague gesture to encompass all of Black Manor. "We best hurry up with the sleeping bags, dinner will be ready soon," he finally said as he went back to the blankets.

"Alright, but if they come out badly, this was _your_ idea," she said firmly, forgetting about her father's strange behavior.

\---------

"Everything all set for tomorrow?" Remus asked as they sat down for dinner.

"Uh-huh. Mia and I transfigured some blankets into sleeping bags so we have enough for everyone," Harry said proudly. They might not be the nicest, but _he_ thought they came out alright.

"Well done, pups. Moony and I went to the grocer's and bought some snacks for you and your friends. Got all the necessities for s'mores, too."

"Did you get cola?" Mia asked.

Sirius snorted. "You think Draco would bloody well shut up if we didn't bring some for him?" That made both children snicker. Draco might seem like the uppity Pureblood to most people, but he loved Muggle food more than anything.

"So, who did you end up inviting?" Remus asked as he took a bite of dinner.

"Well, we invited Draco and Neville, obviously. We also invited George and Fred Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Millie Bulstrode, and Nicola Williams."

"We've met the twins, and I know the Parkinsons and Bulstrodes, but I can't say I know your last friend's family," their father told them.

"That's because Nicky's a Muggleborn. She's in Gryffindor with the twins and Neville. Pansy and Millie are two of my dorm mates, though," Mia explained.

"Ah! We'll have some lions to match the number of snakes!" her father said with a grin.

Harry snorted but Mia frowned. "Papa," she started but stopped.

Sirius looked up at her. "What's wrong, love?"

She was quiet for a second before pushing on. "Does it…does it bother you? That we ended up in Slytherin?" she finally asked.

"What?" he asked startled.

"I know you wanted us to be in Gryffindor. And Jamie only ended up in Slytherin because of me. Does it bother you what House we're in? I heard you hated Slytherin when you were at school and you left home so you wouldn't be around your Slytherin family," she told him, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Mia, sweetheart, there's more to the story than just that. Sirius had many reasons for leaving your Grandmother's house. There is nothing wrong with you and Harry being in Slytherin," her uncle told them immediately, glancing between the siblings.

But Mia noticed her father hadn't said a word. And so had her uncle, if the pointed look he sent her father was anything to go by.

"I gotta go out back. We forgot to set up the goals for the football match tomorrow," Mia said quickly, jumping up and heading towards the family room to go outside.

"Uh, yeah. I'll help," Harry mumbled after her as he followed behind.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Remus growled out as soon as the children disappeared.

"Remus—" he tried, but that's as far as he got.

"What the fuck are you playing at Padfoot?"

Sirius sighed. "Look, Moony I–"

"Don't 'Moony' _me,_ Sirius. You've had a year to get over this. More than that, since we both knew Mia was more than likely to end up a snake," Remus said, slamming his hand on the table.

"Would you listen to me? I—"

"You need to pull your head out of your arse, Sirius. This House rivalry bullshit is getting old. Whether you like it or not, your children and nephew are in that House. And that isn't going to change. You _will_ fix this, or so help me, I will tell Cissy about this and let _her_ sort you out," Remus said angrily as he stomped out.

' _Bloody wolf didn't even let me get a word in!'_ he thought incredulously.

\---------

Mia and Harry were sitting on one of the stone benches outside when Sirius found them.

"Sorry you got stuck in Slytherin with me," he heard Mia tell Harry quietly. It sounded like she'd been crying and Sirius felt lower than dirt knowing he'd caused it.

' _Cassie would have my bollocks if she ever found out about this,'_ he thought ashamed.

"I didn't get stuck, I _chose_ Slytherin," Harry answered her.

"Don't think that's how Papa sees it," she whispered.

"The Sorting Hat sees into the deepest parts of us and places us where we will flourish best," he finally said as he stepped into the light, startling them. "You were both placed in Slytherin because it is where you belong. And I apologize for earlier, pups. Your House doesn't make me love you any less than if you had been placed in Gryffindor," he told them seriously as he sat between them and pulled each of them into a hug. "I have a…complicated history with your House, but I am incredibly proud of _you_ ," he told them as he kissed the tops of their heads.

"Why do you hate our House so much?" Harry asked quietly.

Sirius sighed and was quiet for a long time, debating on what to tell him. He supposed he'd have to tell them the truth, or at least a part of it, after the way he'd handled things. "My family was not…good, to say the least," he finally said. "They were prejudiced, cruel, and entitled—and all of them were Slytherin. When I got to school and I was Sorted into Gryffindor…well it made things worse. And when I ran away from home…well I didn't want anything to do with anything they stood for. That ended up including the House of Slytherin because the Blacks had such a long and proud history with it. It didn't help of course that the Darkest wizard in modern times came from that House," he said with a tired chuckle before he sighed again. "But that changed over time. Some of the best people I know came from Slytherin, you know. I know I didn't say anything earlier but it was mostly out of shock than anything. I thought I'd made it clear that it would never matter to me, what House you ended up in. And, truth be told, we expected you to be in Slytherin, with the way you are," he told them with a smile.

"You don't care, then?" Mia sniffled.

"No, love. I don't care. You two are my children and I will love you, no matter what."

"Even if we became Prefects?" Harry asked with a small smile.

Sirius paused. "Well, let's not get _too_ carried away," he said with a smile.

"What about Head Students?" Mia asked with a watery smile.

"No, sorry, that's my limit. I'd have to disown you," he said seriously, making the children laugh.

Sirius leaned over and gave them each a kiss on the head. "C'mon then. You didn't finish dinner and Dessy will bend me over her knee if you don't have a proper meal," he told them as he stood up.

' _Good. Cissy would have had his bollocks, if she found out,'_ thought Remus as he watched all three come in a few minutes later.


End file.
